Crushcrushcrush
by Kagome1514
Summary: This Valentine's Day, it's Riku's turn. He sends Sora on a scavenger hunt through their memories. What awaits Sora at the end? RxS. Companion to Crush!
1. The Valentine's Day Challenge

**A/N: Welcome to my companion piece for **_**Crush**_**. If you haven't read it, please do so now. It will make this one better. **

**LONG A/N BUT VERY IMPORTANT, I SWEAR! XD **

**This fic is a plot-oriented lemon to which **_**Illyric **_**challenged me; hence, it is dedicated to him. The lemon will come at the very end, so have patience. **

**Oh, and he is also my new beta since **_**hunted-snark **_**has disappeared from the face of this earth. -.- **

**Rated M for Mature due to the occasional use of the F word and sexual content. It's boy on boy action. Be advised! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to **_**Kingdom Hearts **_**or anything associated therein. I also do not own any of the song lyrics; they belong to the great band Paramore. And **_**Twilight **_**belongs to Stephenie Meyer. **

**WARNING: This is surprisingly Paramore-centric in the beginning due to Sora's (and my) love for the band. If you do not like this, too bad! Lol. (I just thought I'd give you a heads up!) **

**Also, I hope that no one bashes me for my opinions on **_**Twilight**_**; but if you do, I'll basically ignore it. Intelligent disagreement is okay; raving fangirls who give me no substance to work with is not. **

**; )**

**Props to anyone who can figure out what inspired the title of this one-shot (even though it's really obvious). Hehe. **

**Oh, and as a final note: In **_**Crush**_**, Sora and Riku were in the same school year but were a year apart in chronological age. I apologize for not being as clear as I could have been, and I will probably go back and make an author's note somewhere in **_**Crush**_**—maybe, if I get around to it. Lol. That being said, this story takes place six years after that special senior year. Please keep this in mind as you read. **

**Enjoy! And don't forget to review if it so moves you! Thanks! **

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_Crushcrushcrush_

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Chapter One: The Valentine's Day Challenge

I snort as I enter the bedroom to find Sora at the computer, belting in his lovely baritone voice:

"_I got a lot to say to you!_

_Yeah, I got a lot to say! _

_I noticed your eyes are always glued to me_

_Keeping them here, and it makes no sense at all!" _

I laugh as he continues. Hearing this, he stops mid-word on the repetition (_"They taped over your mou—!"_) and grins sheepishly; the song continues to play, coming through the speakers built into the monitor. His sheepish behavior doesn't last: he quickly picks back up, serenading me with a great amount of eye contact. He gets really into it, coming off as…sexy and smoldering. He is so into it (as he always is) that he even head-bangs a bit and throws up horns on the _"Rock and roll" _parts. I laugh heartily at how into it he is. Every time he listens to Paramore, I am reminded of high school, and it puts warmth in my heart.

"You're adorable," I murmur. He grins as he polishes off the song.

He pauses "We Are Broken" before the vocals start. His eyes regard me curiously. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. I was just wondering what you wanted to do for Friday."

He is aghast at me. "You are _asking _me what I want to do on Valentine's Day? Do you really not have a romantic bone in your body? You're supposed to _surprise_ me! Have I not taught you anything these last few years?!"

I chuckle and admit, "The romance is your thing. The lust is mine." He blushes as I wink at him, but a lecherous grin adorns his face.

"You've got a point. …But, hey! Our sex life is balanced; the romance isn't. Yes, you're lovely, but you need to step up the romantic gestures. Not that I really mind, but I'm always the one handling them. The most you've done is give me a massage, make dinner, or do the dishes. And even when you do those, it's more _loving _than romantic. You know what I mean?"

I smirk, amused. "I think so."

"This year," he points his finger at me for emphasis, "I fully expect you to woo me. And I don't just mean _seduce _me—I mean _woo_ me. Romance, Riku! Romance! Use some of your skills of seduction and your imagination, and combine them into romance!"

I laugh, a bit miffed that I have never really been the one in charge of our relationship. Even from the very beginning, Sora took the lead. …And just like that, I have my idea for this Valentine's Day. I grin and declare, "I think I just got the most brilliant idea, and you'll _love _it!"

"I better!" he mock-growls. He can't hold it for long; he soon giggles before asking, "Can I get a hint?"

Smirking, I offer, "Oh, you'll get plenty of hints—ten, in fact."

He laughs, delighted so much at this throwback that his eyes sparkle. My heart reacts as it always does, flooding with warmth. He's so precious.

"Where will you stick the love notes? And will there be stickers involved?"

We both laugh together. "Hmm," I muse. "I don't know. I haven't actually thought about what I want to do. I just have a vague idea for what I _might _want to do."

He chuckles. "Okay. Well, I'll be looking forward to whatever you do!"

It's hard to believe that we've been together six years (as of this March). Picking up on the fondness, Sora's features adopt a gentle glow; his smile must be identical to the one on my face.

"I love you, Riku."

I laugh, and I don't know why. Maybe it's because I never get tired of hearing him say those words. "I love you, too, Sora."

We don't kiss every time we say that we love each other. If we're snuggling, maybe; most of the time, not really. It's the same vice versa: we don't always say that we love each other after we kiss. We consider it redundant.

I think about going over and kissing him, but he turns back to the computer, choosing to start up "Stop This Song (Lovesick Melody)". This one is one of my favorites. (Admittedly, with the years of being with Sora, Paramore has grown on me.)

Moving a little to the beat, I go behind him and wrap my arms around him as I sing along. My voice is not as nice as his, but it's a decent (baritone) one. I sway us from side to side to the upbeat song, and he grins, going right along with it.

"_You say the sweetest things, _

_And I can't keep my heart from singing_

_Along to the sound of your song!_

_My stupid feet keep moving!_

"_To this four-four beat,_

_I'm in time with you. _

_Oh, oh, oh-oh!_

_To this four-four beat, I would die for you!" _

He grins, tilting his head back into my shoulder while looking up at me. He bounces from side to side in my arms before stilling. We're both still now.

The music plays without either of us singing along as we stare into each other's eyes. Sora is the one to pick it back up. Emotion bursts from him, evident in his eyes and facial expressions, as he sings his "_ultimate _favorite" Paramore song. He listened to this song "a _lot_" back in high school…because of me.

He's back to wriggling from side to side in my arms. I laugh.

As the chorus hits again, we sing it together. I nearly stop because of how cute Sora is when he gets into it—as he always does. His face is _adorable_. I know that he will stop singing if I do, though, which is why I struggle to keep my mind on the song (lest I sing the wrong words). Still, I stumble a bit, sluggish with my words. Sora laughs then launches into his "_absolute _favorite" part. He doesn't mind that I've gone quiet.

"_It creeps in like a spider_

_That can't be killed_

_Although I try and try to! _

_Well, don't you see I'm falling?_

_Don't wanna love you_

_But I do…." _

He bangs his head to the instrumental then belts, _"Lovesick melody! So I won't sing a—Lovesick melody! Ah-Ah-Ah-OH!" _I chuckle. He crinkles his nose resolutely as he insists that he _"won't sing!" _His head bobs to the ending.

I release him as he leans forward to pause "Rewind" only to start up "Decoy"—not to be mixed up with "Decode". He likes "Decoy" better than he likes "Decode," though he likes everything by the band.

I titter as I remember us going to see _Twilight _simply because of Hayley Williams being an avid fan of the book series (which led to Sora reading it).

I've never bothered to read it because I think it's way too hyped up, and I'm not much interested in the vampire phenomenon. Sora loves vampires, though. Still, he's got good taste and admits to reading only the first two books, finding it all too cliché to keep on reading. And he only read the second book because Kairi (an avid fan of the series and admitted crazy fangirl for Edward Cullen) begged him to keep reading. He drew the line at the second book, claiming, "They're happy enough, Kai! I'm stopping here before I waste more of my life on this crap!" She pouted, but he would not be moved.

"Vampires are not supposed to be sparkly in the sun; they're supposed to be killed by it!" he griped upon reading the first book. Then again, he's not a teen girl and has never had that mindset…unless it comes to _crushing _(and then he's a basket case).

He's always been on the mature side when it comes to appreciating art in all its forms. It's an interesting juxtaposition with the immaturity he likes to indulge in…as well as his love for me, which is mostly entirely serious and amazingly passionate.

* * *

About a week after we started dating, we were sitting in Sora's car in the Senior Parking Lot, about ready to go home. (He'd taken up the task of giving me rides to and from school for the rest of the year due to my lack of car.) Before he even stuck the keys in the ignition, Sora randomly admitted that he'd occasionally stalk me around school—"but not in an overly creepy sort of way!" he was quick to add. "I mainly just watched you go to your locker—which is how I knew which one was yours—and…umm… maybe a couple of times in the library? I never followed you into the bathroom or anything—I had boundaries. I think that was about it. …Wait, no. There was that time after school. …I, uhh…ahem…err… tailed Naminé when she was giving you a lift home. I guess I wasn't really thinking; and once I started, I couldn't stop myself."

Oddly, I felt more flattered than disturbed. It actually quite amused me because I, myself, had nearly succumbed to stalking him…nearly. However, I couldn't resist teasing, "Oh, yeah, 'cause that's not creepy at all…following someone home."

He blushed and hid his face in his hands, clearly tormented. Lifting his head, he wanted me to be clear on the fact that: "I never did anything with the information…" His brows furrowed as he conceded, "…other than daydream about being with you there." Embarrassed anew, he groaned and hid his face again. I chose to mention the fact that I was flattered (instead of disturbed) at this moment. It made him laugh and say, "Good, then!"

I used this as a segue to get him to further talk about his feelings for me. I wanted to know just how in love with me he was.

"So… exactly how crazy in love with me, are you?" I grinned; he blushed, having just managed to lift his face back up.

"I don't know. You tell me, and then I'll tell you!"

"I asked you first!"

"Doesn't matter! You tell me, and then I'll tell you!"

So, despite my embarrassment, I opened up.

"Well…uhh…every time I'd see you, my heart would spazz out, and I could barely breathe—as cliché as that sounds. I'd always feel pretty lightheaded—like all the blood was draining from my face to supply the way my heart was beating double time." He grinned at me, clearly enjoying this. Continuing, I admitted, "I only joined all the sports and clubs that I was in so that you would be forced to notice me. I didn't even know whether you bothered to watch sporting events, though. For all I knew, you could have been the bookish type to not give a crap about sports…but there you were at all of my games. And then I stuck with it because I was pretty good at it—and I liked it better than I thought I would."

He laughed. "I only _went _because of you. I really _didn't _give a crap about sports."

I grinned, getting a bit warm. "Heh."

"Go on," he urged. "Tell me more."

"Hmm…well…I basically sponged off Naminé for information since she had art with you. Uhh… I _nearly _stalked you a couple of times. There was one time where I kind-of did, but then I told myself that I just needed to return a book. I left as soon as I did—because I really did need to turn in a book—too embarrassed and ashamed to _actually _follow you or even just stare at you."

He chuckled and murmured, "You're a better man than I am." I blushed. "Any more?" he wondered.

"Umm…I don't know. I was really giddy about you sitting near me. I love that we've got classes together." Smirking, I decided, "Your turn!"

Getting embarrassed, he mumbled, "What more is there after stalking? Doesn't that say it all?" We laughed. Still, he admitted, "I didn't feel like my day was complete until I'd seen you. I guess that's what led to the stalking, really. And…I pumped Naminé for information about you, too, because I'd seen her giving you rides. She always just smiled secretively—and now I know why. Actually, she was the one who suggested that I confess via love note."

My eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"Yeah! She even helped me with the design…and with what might be good to say. She said that you didn't really open up, so she didn't _really _know you, but she figured that anyone would be attracted by mystery, so I should keep it vague. …And that's what I did."

"Huh."

"Yeah."

We laughed. It was really quite amusing.

* * *

I laugh just remembering it, earning a curious glance from Sora. I shake my head, and he goes back to listening to his music and staring at the visualizer. The background is black with little golden balls of light moving around. They form a heart then what looks to be Mickey Mouse ears, but they mainly stick to spheres; they combine and move, changing colors the whole time as they pulse with the music. Down at the bottom of the playlist due to the fact that the album is the _Twilight _soundtrack, "Decode" starts playing; the visualizer changes.

Paramore did a couple of songs for the soundtrack of the _Twilight_, which is why I knew that our fate was sealed the moment that Sora learned of this. "We _have _to go see it!" he'd cried when he read the online article. That was back in two thousand eight…the same year that we'd gotten together.

Even though it came out in November, we actually went to see it in early December for our nine-month anniversary. We'd just begun our freshman year of college. Kairi came with us (to see it a fourth time), but she might as well not have been there because she didn't talk to us. She stayed silent, her eyes glued to the screen, enraptured by the horrible, horrible movie.

Sadly, Sora was terribly disappointed by the movie. He agreed with me when I said it was the worst movie I'd ever seen. And yet, despite the _horrible, horrible _acting, shoddy portrayal of the story in general, and disjointed cinematography, we sat through the whole thing. When we left the darkened theater, stepping out into the bright hallway, Kairi squealed about how sexy Rob Pattinson was. She was both amused and indignant when Sora made a crack about his eyebrows. None of us could resist laughing.

On the way to the lobby, Sora pointed out everything that was wrong with the movie: bad acting, the backgrounds being saturated, the dialogue, how it was disjointed, how they left a whole bunch out, and how it was "just plain _awful_!"

Kairi laughingly cried, "No! I love it!"

"That's 'cause you're brainwashed. I worry for your sanity if you _like _that type."

She retorted, "Oh, yeah? Well, I worry for your sanity because you _are _that type!"

"Oh, I am not!" he scoffed just before he sipped some of his watered down soda, pursing his lips around the straw.

"You are, too! You're a stalker!"

"Not really! I've never done anything creepy like break into his house and watch him sleep!" I blushed at this. "I've never been hot and cold with him—which is just plain abusive. I don't want to _eat _him!"

"But you did follow him home…."

I blushed anew.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't do anything. I never even went by his house after that. That was one time! I barely even followed him at school."

"Barely," she quipped. They snickered.

Feeling awkward, I spoke up, insisting, "Hey, guys! It's kind-of awkward listening to you talk about me like I'm not right here."

Sora grinned, apologized, then kissed me on the cheek despite the fact that there were tons of people around. Something wriggled uncomfortably on the inside—I've never been one for public displays of affection.

* * *

Even though I've been thinking about the beginning of our freshman year of college, I sigh, "Oh, senior year…"

Paramore makes me think of Sora in his white Paramore hoodie…and of us sharing his iPod to listen to "Misery Business". The band makes me think of how Sora would listen to his iPod during lunch, leaving Kairi and me to converse semi-awkwardly with each other or not at all. (I abandoned the people who liked to consider themselves my friends—because they really weren't my friends, and because I enjoyed Sora's company much more.) The volume on the device was so loud that if anything were to be said to Sora, he'd pull out an earbud and go, "What?" We'd either repeat what we'd said or asked…or we'd shake our heads, deciding that it wasn't worth the effort. He'd always revert to having the earbud in his ear, mouthing along and/ or quietly singing along to the music when he wasn't busy chewing.

At my reminiscent sigh, Sora looks over at me, grinning in a questioning way.

"Sorry. I'm getting all reminiscent with all this Paramore."

"Hehehe. And the subject of this particular reminiscence?"

I grin. "Senior year in general. But, before I thought about that, when we went to go to see _Twilight _freshman year."

"Oh, that fucking movie!" he groans, turning back to the screen. "I was 'meh' about the book, so I wasn't holding high hopes for the movie…but it was honestly the worst movie I've ever seen! And that chick that played Bella is the worst actress EVER! Remember that one scene at the end? She stammered, but she did it so _horribly _that we just _laughed_."

I chuckle. I've heard this before—it's exactly what he said when we exited the theater. I smile as I remember that I bought him ice cream afterward to make him feel better. He rambled for a while about the crappy movie. Kairi fired back with how sexy Rob Pattinson was, and we just shrugged. Sora soon became more interested in eating and commenting on his "yummy" ice cream.

Never one to care about being childish, he decided to give me a sticky yet wet kiss comprised mostly of the chocolate residue on his lips. I'd laughed and wiped it off. He pretended to be affronted before quoting Ellen Degeneres by wondering, "'You don't want that there?'" then "'_Why_ would you wipe my spittle away?'" Granted, she was talking about how when people talk to you and a fleck of spit hits your face, but still…it fit, and it got laughter out of me.

My arms find Sora again, tucking him into my embrace despite the computer chair being between us. He pauses the music and tilts his head back against my shoulder again. "I wanna cuddle." I grin and nod, releasing him so that he can get up. We move over to the bed; I lie down first—against the wall—and Sora joins me, tucking up against me and snuggling closely. We both know that we never cuddle for long because it always turns into something else—unless we happen to be watching a movie. Cuddling on the bed always warps into sex. Lovey-dovey sex, but sex nonetheless.

Surprisingly, today, there is no sex. Today, we cuddle and snuggle and share kisses, but our libidos are quiet. It's in the air—this hazy, warm feeling. It's about this time of year where we look back on the beginning of our relationship, basking in the nostalgia. Usually, we stick to teasing about the letters, but today we go into more detail. I think it's because we like dragging up everything we can remember…and because this year feels different somehow.

"I still say my favorite sticker is the 'Light a fart' one!"

Sora giggles. "I know. That one is funny. My favorite is the happy face."

He's never told me his favorite sticker before, though I have asked on multiple occasions. He'd always say that it was too embarrassing to say, but his eyes would sparkle with the mystery. He liked having me wonder. I don't think he realizes that he's suddenly come clean.

I'm surprised that it is this one. "I don't see why. It's just a smiley face."

"It's not just a smiley face! It…" He blushes and mumbles, "It was the first sticker, and it was a sign that you were interested in me. That one sticker lit up my world." Even I blush at this. A short "Heh" from both of us cracks into identical grins.

Thinking on one of my favorite days, I murmur, "Oh, that breeze. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when it landed by your foot!"

He chuckles. "Me, too. I was afraid that someone else would grab it and read it."

"Heh."

Surprisingly, Sora asks a question that he never had the courage to before: "What would you have done…if it weren't me?"

"Uhh…" I uneasily reply. "I don't know. I probably would have tried to let the guy down easy and ask if we could be friends."

Sora makes what I can only describe as the 'XD' face. Relaxing yet still smiling, he prods, "And who were your other options?"

"Umm…I don't remember. A couple of guys in my other classes? I didn't really think it could be them. I was always hoping it was you."

"Aww!" He glows as he smiles almost teasingly at me, looking like I've melted him. We laugh; I get a bit warm.

Moving on, I reminisce, "I still say our first kiss was the best."

"Ha-hyuck! 'Nothing beats a first kiss!'"

"Okay, _Goofy_! …Or should I say Drew Barrymore?"

He laughs. "Neither! You can just call me Sora!" I roll my eyes at his silliness.

My hand goes to his hair; I toy with the spiky locks as I remark, "God… You still look like you did when you were in high school."

He scowls, getting affronted at this. I hastily insist, "It's a good thing! You'll always look young!"

"I guess…" he mutters. I kiss his sulky lips, which makes them open up into a smile.

"So, what do you want to do for dinner?"

"Hmm… Surprise me!" He grins. I laugh.

"All right. …You're really going to milk this week, aren't you?"

"Damn skippy!"

We laugh again. Falling quiet, we stare into each other's eyes, sharing our breath. Everything is warm and comfortable. Our eyelids keep drooping. Soon, without realizing it, we both fall asleep, taking an impromptu nap before dinner.

* * *

The next day, I sit at work (editor for the local newspaper), not really focusing. In fact, I'm busy planning.

_Let's see. Okay. So, I know I'm going to need to get some index cards and stickers_.

I grin. It's priceless. I plan on giving Sora ten hints—hints that will be clues on a scavenger hunt. It will be a throwback to Valentine's Day '08, but it will also give Sora that sense of mystery and adventure that he so loves.

On the way home, I buy a pack of index cards and a sheet of Valentine's Day stickers that consist of "Conversation Hearts". I also decide to splurge a little and get some nice Valentine's Day-themed stationary. It's got Winnie the Pooh in the top right-hand corner. It's childish and yet screams "Sora!" I think it's perfect.

Sora is already home, unfortunately, when I come in. He's seated on the couch, watching TV. As soon as he hears me enter, he immediately eyes the bag, grinning as his eyes flit up to meet mine. "What's in the bag?"

"Part of your surprise." I have it double-bagged so that he can't see through it.

"Ah." He nods, still grinning. "Better put it away so that I'm not tempted to look."

"I was planning on it."

"Good, then."

Laughter bubbles from him, and I grin. He's just so amusing.

Fondness seeps from every word as I advise, "I'll be back out in a bit, goofball. If you need me, knock or else you'll ruin your surprise."

"Okay." His eyes stray back to the TV. I take off my shoes, lining them up next to his—which are two sizes bigger than his actual shoe size. He's grinning from ear to ear even as I walk down the hall to our shared bedroom. Despite my advisory on knocking, I lock the door anyway for added privacy. I've got much letter-writing to do.

* * *

I shake my hand out, wrinkling my nose at the fact that it's cramping up. I've done an awful lot of writing today. The bump that is the writer's callus on the ring finger of my right hand is reddened; I've aggravated it even with my gel pen. Or maybe the aggravation came from the crappy pens I used earlier at work. Oh well.

I smile, satisfied with my work. It's only three more days until Valentine's Day, but I think I've managed to come up with something great. There are ten envelopes; inside each one is a letter and an index card. Each envelope is sealed with a different sticker.

Right as I finish tying off the bag full of my secret messages to Sora, there comes a knock on the door. I quickly deliberate on where to shove the bag, opting for shoving it in a box in the closet—a box that is underneath another box. Still, as I open the bedroom door, I warn, "Don't go digging through the closet."

Appearing bemused, my roommate responds, "All right. Not that I do so anyway, but all right." We laugh again. We seem to be doing it a lot lately…but that's probably because Valentine's Day is our favorite time of year. We're always giddy around this time of year.

"I think you're more creative than I am," I assert. "You could probably spin off five amazing ideas to my one good one."

"Probably."

"Oh! Speaking of which, what are your plans for the eighth?"

He deadpans, his eyebrows rising to silently ask me if I'm serious. I chuckle and elaborate, "You made sure to get it off, right?" He tilts his head downward to emphasize the expression on his face. I grin. We both ask for March 8th off every year. It's our anniversary, after all.

"Well," I qualify, "I was just checking. You never know if your boss might change his mind."

He shakes his head, smiling wryly. "You're crazy." After stealing a kiss, he prods, "So, why do you ask?"

"I can't tell you."

He guesses, "It's part of the Valentine's Day surprise, isn't it?"

I smirk. "Maybe."

"Well…cool. Dinner's ready."

"Hmm." My stomach growls, prompting me to wonder, "What'd you make?"

He shrugs. "Nothing fancy: white rice, corn, and those chicken things we had in the freezer."

"Oh, what a great chef you are!"

He scowls, clearly unhappy with my words. However, he breaks down into laughter. "Shut up! I'm feeling lazy! You know I can cook when I feel like taking the time."

"Hmm. And you're better at baking than I am."

"True."

We share a random kiss just because we feel like it. Sora takes my hand as he leads me down the hall because he gets annoyed when we just walk around without having some form of contact with each other. It's this same annoyance that leads to our legs touching while we eat and to us cuddling on the couch after dinner. We do this every night that we eat in, which is most of the time.

With some movie on TV in the background and the lights out, Sora falls asleep slanted against me, his mouth hanging open. Miraculously, he's not drooling…yet. He drools all over his pillow, usually—which is why I make a point of sticking to my pillow.

I smile fondly as I caress his hair. He snores, but I find it more endearing than annoying. More often than not, it makes me laugh.

After awhile, I get uncomfortable in my position and am forced to wake him. He looks just as cute as he always does upon awaking. As usual, his first question is, "What time is it?" This usually results in him flopping back down for more sleep unless he has to be somewhere or do something important.

"It's going on ten. I was just moving because my back was hurting."

"Hmm." He sits up, rubbing at his face. "We have work tomorrow. Maybe we should hit the sheets now, anyway."

While I work as an editor at the newspaper, Sora works at a video game store. He keeps his art as a hobby, only occasionally selling his work. More often than not, he draws fantasy—elves and fairies and strange creatures from his mind. We've decided that if I ever decide to publish a novel, he will do the cover art.

Due to Sora's irritability with lack of contact, I make a point of pushing him forward with my hands on his shoulders. He smiles but says nothing. We shuffle along, making a pit stop at the bathroom to brush our teeth—and then it's back to shuffling into the bedroom. Since Sora's practically asleep on his feet due to the drowsiness of his nap, I do him the favor of helping him undress, stripping him down to his boxers with very little help from him. He gets under the covers while I take care of my own clothes. Gathering up all of the discarded articles, I toss them in the hamper by the door.

As I lift the covers in preparation for getting into bed, I regard my snoozing boyfriend. He makes me smile, and he's not even _doing _anything. He's just lying there, breathing deeply, trying to drift off to sleep. It's almost laughable how much I love him just for being alive.

When I get into bed (I have the right side; he has the left), which is admittedly a couple of minutes later, I snuggle up to him. He's gotten so used to _us _that he can't fall asleep without us snuggling, actually. As such, he mutters, "About time…."

Grinning, I laugh on the inside but reply, "Sorry. I got caught up in gazing at your radiant beauty."

He snorts derisively, but this is marred by the unbidden smile that tugs at his lips. "Good night, weirdo."

I chuckle. "Good night, goofball." He grins, which makes me do so. I steal a kiss to his temple before settling down to sleep myself.

* * *

**A/N: Like its predecessor, **_**Crushcrushcrush **_**has exceeded my expectations. It's so long that it can't be a one-shot; instead, I've split it up into shorter chapters. There are six total (if you include the epilogue). **

**Please review! **

**Kagome-chan **


	2. Memory Lane: Part I

Chapter Two: Memory Lane: Part I

Valentine's Day creeps up on me quicker than I imagine. Since it is a holiday, I don't have to go into work until mid-morning. Plus, the office closes an hour early today on account of everyone wanting to spend time with their sweethearts.

Despite this, I wake up semi-early so that I can cook Sora breakfast and leave the first letter on my pillow. I want him to wake up to it, and I want to be gone by the time he wakes up so that he will wake up to me gone, thereby enhancing the mystery of it all.

I'm extremely quiet about retrieving the bag full of my letters, mindful of waking Sora, though he is a rather heavy sleeper. Luckily, he barely even stirs. I nearly choke on my laughter as I find that he's sprawled over the entire bed, his head has slid down onto the mattress instead of his pillow, and he's drooling onto the sheets. I sneak out of the room undetected, making a mental note to myself that we'll need to do laundry sometime soon.

Since it is Valentine's Day, I make pancakes in the shape of hearts. I even make a Mickey Mouse one just to tease Sora due to his dislike of the cartoon creature. If he doesn't eat it, I will eat it later, perhaps.

The pancakes are lightly buttered and topped with powdered sugar, sliced strawberries, and a scant amount of whipped cream (since whipped cream is one of Sora's favorite dessert toppings). For Mickey, his head is one big pancake. Two smaller ones make up the ears. He gets strawberry slices for the eyes, a whole strawberry for the nose, and a whipped cream smile. I think it looks cute, but maybe I'm just biased. The only things that make it look like Mickey Mouse are the trademark ears.

The heart-shaped pancakes are a bit more decorative than Mickey: I use the strawberry slices to create a frame then sprinkle the sugar, giving them a light coating of the white powder. For the whipped cream, I wait to add it until the pancakes have gone cold—so that it won't melt. I use a can and form words with them. It looks especially good with my "frame".

Sora can eat a maximum of three large pancakes before he starts getting sick of them, so there are only three. They all say different things:

_I LOVE YOU _

_SWEETHEART _

and

_HAPPY V-DAY!_

(And yes, there is an exclamation point on this one.)

Quite proud of myself and even rather smug, I sneer, "Not romantic, huh? How do you like that?" I chuckle, glance at my watch, and put everything away. I need to get going, but I really don't want to leave Sora. I'm torn. However, the least I can do is leave a message wishing him a good day and telling him about his breakfast.

Using a red marker, a black marker, and as much of my artistic talent as I possess (which is very little), I write on our dry erase board.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY,

SWEETHEART!

I made breakfast for you. Enjoy! Love you!

xoxo

I draw a heart with the black then color it in with the red. Next to this, I sign my name in my usual scrawl. With this accomplished, I grab my things and leave, locking the door behind me.

On my way to work, I pause at the little "hot spots," where I hide Sora's clues. This takes especially long due to some of the areas that I have to go. It's why I woke up early.

While driving, I listen to the CD that Sora made me: **Valentine's Day 2009**. It's filled with a lot of "our" songs, which are mostly just a bunch of sappy, popular love songs. There are two or three different versions of "Can't Help Falling In Love". I happen to be listening to the A*Teens version as I pull out of the complex.

An hour after I start work, I get a call on my office phone. I pick it up and answer with my professional voice, "Thank you for calling _News of Destiny_. This is Riku speaking. How may I help you?"

I somehow sense that it is Sora the split-second before he speaks; as such, I'm already smiling when he says, _"Hey." _

"Hey. Did you see the letter and the breakfast?"

"_Yeah. I'm eating it. –The breakfast, not the letter!" _

I laugh. "Yeah, I figured." We both start snickering at the imagery of Sora eating my letter.

"_It's really good. Thank you." _

"No problem." Finding that I'm getting glared at for my personal call because we're all here for such a short time today, I quickly and softly utter, "Hey, So. I gotta go. I'll see you later. I love you."

"_Love you, too! Happy Valentine's Day!" _

Smiling, I murmur, "Happy Valentine's Day." I hang up with a sigh. I already miss him, and I've hardly been away for very long.

Hearing his voice has inspired anew the yearning to be with him, which is why I ache with longing for him right now. I heave another sigh before pushing past it to focus more on my work. When it comes to break time, I eat my lunch (something that Sora whipped up last night in the determination that I have an excellent lunch on Valentine's Day) and muse on what will happen in a few hours.

_I imagine that Sora woke up with a smile because it is what always greets me when those blue eyes find me. _

_That smile quickly fell into a disgruntled expression once he noticed the lack of ME. This disgruntled expression then morphed into a surprised and curious one upon observation of the letter on my pillow. Carefully and tenderly, mindful of the "S.W.A.K." light blue heart-shaped sticker, he opened the letter, tugging it from its confines. The single page would unfold easily, and his eyes would dart across it. _

'_Dearest Sora, _

_Happy Valentine's Day 2014! Wow! Makes you feel old, huh? Hehe. _

_It seems like just yesterday that I was on the receiving end of your letters. Is it strange that I still get giddy when I cast my mind back to then? When I re-read your letters, I still feel the same way I did the first time I read them: excited, anxious, bubbly, glowing, unbelievably tickled…. Did you know that? _

_Well, since you think that I need to "woo" you, I've prepared a day full of adventures for you, my love. I hope you have fun, and that the effort is worth it for both of us. Haha._

_I love you, Sora. _

_Forever yours, _

_Riku_

_P.S. You'll have ten clues; each clue is in public places yet tucked away from the casual observer. Have fun! _

I pause in my musings to laugh at my sappiness. I figure that it's okay, though, because Sora loves sappiness. He's a great, big sap himself!

I smile as I imagine him reading over the index card with a…hmm…fond yet amused expression? Yes, I think so.

_CLUE # 1: _

_The place where we first "met". _

_Sit at our table, and you'll find the next clue. _

Getting sidetracked on my imaginings, I instead begin to think about the past few Valentine's Days.

Valentine's Day, 2008: the fateful day where I found that strange yet wonderful love note.

We moved slowly the first few months of our relationship with much hand-holding but shy kisses. We were both shy—downright timid. We had to get used to each other.

* * *

The first month featured tentative hand-holding but not much else other than us sitting close to one another. Despite having had our first kiss, we couldn't bring ourselves to kiss again. During Spring Break '08, which was a week in length at the end of March, Sora managed to get one on my cheek; we laughed as we ducked our heads, blushing. We didn't try to go any further; we liked the way things were. We liked moving slowly. It suited us.

March was _Heart of Darkness _month. Sora was the one to coin it that. I smiled and agreed that it was apt. In mid-March, we had a fifty-question test on it. I still have an e-mail that Sora wrote in my e-mail address from senior year. (I made a new one once I graduated.) He sent it to multiple friends. In it, he bragged.

_I'm sending this e-mail to all of you so I don't have to repeat myself. lol._

_Today, in AP Lit class (as three of you know), we had a 50-question test on Josepsh Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Mrs. Murphy, our teacher, informed us that period 4 (*cough*yes,yourguys'class*cough*) did astonishingly... horrible. 0.- She said there were a lot of D's and C's... and a few B's. Of course, telling us this freaked us (period 5) out... because we then assumed that if you guys thought it was hard... we would find it hard. I suppose it was rather hard - I had to use my powers of deduction... and a bit of educated guessing... quite often. It seemed not that difficult, though, if one had read the story. lol. Apparently, not that many people actually read it despite the fact that we have that 20-25 page analysis project due in two weeks...? XD (I am not questioning the fact that it is due - I am questioning those that didn't read it. I went back last night and read section 2 and 3 - and I am certainly glad I did! : D)_

_First of all: What did you two period 4 people (Selphie, Yuna) get? Did Murphy tell anyone their score? She didn't really tell anyone in our class... except for one person._

_Murphy said that one person (in your guys' class, apparently) had missed 36 (or was it 39?) out of 50. There will be no "Murphy Math" on this test, true... but even if there were... I doubt it would help that poor soul. -.-_

_I went back and changed one of my answers... I forget on which question... but I am hoping that I either: changed it to the right answer... or that I didn't change it to the wrong answer. (Yes, I am aware that that is the same thing, basically. XP)_

_Apparently, out of both classes... someone got an A. 0.0 Mrs. Murphy told this person, who happens to sit near her desk (^_^;), "You got an A," and replied to the question of how many missed with, "Four." _

_I think she said that this A was the only A in both classes... but I can't be sure. Anyway..._

_I can't hold it back any longer.... I GOT THE A~! *propels a peace sign forward with his left arm while putting his right hand on his hip and giving the XD face* _

I distinctly remember getting a B on this test…and that I called Sora a loser for going back and reading the sections again. He retorted, "Yeah! A loser who got an _A_!" then stuck his tongue out at me. He then proceeded to be all cocky for the rest of the day. I both loved and hated him for it. Even now, I feel like grumbling.

Just like I'd secretly wished before we'd gotten together, Sora and I helped each other (via Gmail chat) with our monstrous essays on _Heart of Darkness_. We pulled an all-nighter. We kept each other motivated and on task, surprisingly. To our great astonishment, our papers came to about thirty pages. It was then that I discovered that Sora was an _excellent _Honors/ AP student with bullshitting skills that I _worshipped_.I "bowed" to him, and he "grinned" and said, 'Yeah, I know! I'm awesome! Worship me all you please!' This was accompanied by him sticking his tongue out (on the emoticon).

If I were now to say that I worship him, I'm not quite sure he'd remember the real reason behind it—unless I remind him.

When we got to class on Doomsday (as we had nicknamed it), there were some people missing; Mrs. Murphy called it… I forget what she called it, but it had something to do with "flu" and _Heart of Darkness_—and the fact that the papers were due.

During the second month of our relationship—which was mostly April and the beginning of May—we worked more on snuggling and getting comfortable in each other's arms. Unfortunately, we had very little time near the end of the year because we had work _piled _on us.

We had a novel analysis due at the end of April. For it, we were given a list of things to choose from, and we had to choose a book that we hadn't already read (or, in my case, that I'd never done anything for in a previous class). I chose _Pride & Prejudice_. I don't remember what Sora did.

This reminds me of the end of February when Sora and I were frantic because we procrastinated (as we were wont to do) on a "literary analysis". There were a lot of stipulations to this project, one of which being that we needed "critical commentary"—commentary from important people. We'd had at least a month to do it, and we waited until two days before to even start our _research_. (As Sora would say: 'Everyone knows that AP stands for "Advanced Procrastination"!')

At this point, we didn't have each other's contact information. (That happened after we got _together_.)We made a point of not mentioning the project so as to keep from stressing too much (which we left to do at home, on our own time). Together, we were easygoing and focused on trivial things; separately, we stressed over this stupid thing until we were sick to our stomachs. It's funny to recall that, amidst this madness, I was getting love letters from him.

I wonder if Sora might have been using them as a way of relieving stress—or at least something to focus on that wouldn't give him an ulcer. Well, he'd get nervous writing them, but he was usually more excited than anything—since I'd been responding well—at least, this is what he's told me. I really have no reason to doubt him, though.

We had so much to do in April and May. There was a _lot _of essay-writing in April in preparation for the AP exams (which were in May). We had a marathon of it, actually: three days in a row of in-class essays. We'd read a passage—usually a short story—and then we'd respond to the open-ended prompt of our choice. Sora and I trudged out of the room, mentally drained, our hands crippled. I nearly giggle at the memory of how he slumped against me, making it difficult for me to walk. "Mush!" he commanded jokingly but with a tired air to his voice. I tried to shake him off, but he clung to my backpack, relying on my strength to get us through the crowded hallways—indoor and out.

Come to think of it, I still have my high school portfolio somewhere, filled with folders from each year, which, in turn, are filled with all of the tests and essays I did. Sora has his as well. I don't know why we've kept it; neither of us plans on looking back at them.

Anyway, those of us who registered for the AP exams (which Sora and I did) were having cram sessions from March to the very beginning of May. I remember really liking March and April because Sora and I spent a lot of time together—a lot of time dedicated to schoolwork, but a lot of time nonetheless. We both participated in the group of six people (out of a class of twenty) who were going to take the AP Japanese test.

I think one of the things I love most about Sora is his tenacity with work—especially schoolwork, when he had it. It's no wonder he was a superb student: he studied like no one's business and worked his butt off!

In a way, our classes seemed to define us in high school. I only had two AP classes, but I think Sora had more. (I don't remember his schedule, though. It's been too long.) We were the "smart" kids, and our AP classes contributed to our personalities. Our teachers and classmates had an impact on us. We had fun. We took Japanese because we loved it; we did English because we liked the challenge. In general, I think we took AP and Honors classes to challenge ourselves. We've never been the types to do things halfway. We fight, and we fight hard.

In May, we had a unit on poetry, which led to more essay-writing. We even had a group project. Sadly, Sora wasn't in my group; somehow, though, I ended up in a group consisting of (literally) the smartest kids in our grade. I tried to contribute in the process of creating our analysis, but they ended up re-doing everything that I wrote. I just read off of the paper they gave me.

Oh, wait. That was for the project on _Hamlet _back in December.

Truthfully, I never read the play. I don't remember which came first: the final essay for _Hamlet _or the project. Either way, I crapped out some bullshit. I remember that I was reading over my essay at lunch when I discovered an egregious typo in it. It was so bad that it potentially revealed the fact that I hadn't read the play. Hence, I didn't turn it during fifth period; I promised that I'd turn it immediately after school. It was at this time that I was grateful for not having a sixth period. Amazingly enough, I got a C plus on that essay. (For once, I was glad for such a "good" grade.)

When I told Sora this story, which was probably back in March of that year, he _laughed_ and _laughed _at me. I don't know why he found it so funny. I assume it has to do with the fact that, despite his habit of procrastination, he was generally a good student. He always did the reading.

For the _Hamlet _project, we did a puppet show to summarize our allotted act. Since we had the very last scene in the entire play, we got to make our Popsicle-stick puppets "die" by throwing them aside. We got a lot of laughs—and I was glad to hear that some came from Sora.

I can't remember what Sora's group did, unfortunately. I didn't even pay attention. I think I spent his presentation staring at him, not bothering to listen to his words—just his voice. It's funny to think that that was first semester, and that we didn't know each other then. It's just so strange because, by now, it's hard to remember a time when I _didn't _know Sora.

As I stare at my lunch, I realize that I can't remember what I was thinking of in the first place. But now I figure I might as well continue reminiscing about AP Lit. It might bring my point back to me. So, I eat my food and head back to my sweet memory lane.

_Let's see…. We started off the year with the summer projects. We did one book from a list she gave us and then we did—Aww! Owen Meany! I should remind Sora about it! _

I never much liked the book, _A Prayer for Owen Meany_. In fact, I thought it was greatly boring when I first read it the summer before senior year. The more we analyzed it, though, the more I liked it. I think I only hated it in the first place because I procrastinated and, therefore, had to read it in only two _long _sittings—and it was a thick book! I didn't _care _about the older John's ramblings of his youth until we discussed it in class—and then it became interesting.

Sora _loved _the book, though. He was _crazy _about Owen. He thought he was hilarious. He admitted to crying at the end. (I didn't—probably because I wasn't that emotionally attached due to the way I ploughed through the book.) Surprisingly enough, Mrs. Murphy admitted to crying every time she read it. Sora and I had a hard time imagining the sturdy woman crying even though we kept in mind that everyone's human.

The thing I hated about the summer project was that, aside from essays, it required artistic ability. When school started, we were assigned a project to do a shield with some emblem on it or something.

_Wasn't there something about an epitaph?_ I can't remember. I don't even remember what I drew for the _Owen Meany _portion—the shield. I think I drew grass and things that vaguely resembled human shape for whatever the artistic project was for our optional book (mine was _Wuthering Heights_). I think that was the one with the epitaph, which was easy for me since there were multiple dead people in my book. I think there was something having to do with a minimum on the words written on the back of the picture, but whatever. What I remember about my _Owen Meany _project was that I drew horribly. I think I drew a baseball or something—among a couple of other things. Everything looked like something a five-year-old could have done.

Sora, though… Oh, Sora! He drew the infamous red dress upon the sewing mannequin. I can see myself standing in Room 107, practically up against the wall, all so that I could stare at Sora's amazing artistic talent. I wished I could draw like him as I regarded it. And then I started thinking, _'His hand touched this paper….' _It made me want to reach out and touch it.

I freaked myself out at that point and forced myself to leave the room.

We did _King Lear _for a while after that, going into great detail. I remember when we watched a film version of it, and the room was dark, Sora had moved closer so he could see the TV at the back of the room (since his seat was by Murphy's desk, which was in the opposite corner, he was the furthest from it). He sat just a couple of seats ahead of me. I nearly asked Demyx to trade seats with me as the lucky bastard sat right behind my crush.

Instead of paying attention to the movie, I imagined myself in a darkened movie theater, the armrest up so that we two were snuggling. I was so caught up in this that I _jumped _in my seat when the lights came on. Everyone laughed at me, assuming that I'd been asleep. Sora, though…regarded me with interest. It was almost as if he _knew _that I hadn't been sleeping. I couldn't keep eye contact; I was too embarrassed. I scurried on out of the room as quickly as possible. Thank God it was a Friday!

At some point, I forget when (it might have been January), we had a book report. We chose our book from a list. Both Sora and I did Amy Tan books: I did _The Joy Luck Club_, and he did _The Kitchen God's Wife_. I got a B; he got a B plus…the bastard!

We did a lot of poetry during the year. I hate poetry with a passion, which is why I've never ever bothered to write any for Sora. He actually liked our unit on poetry that was during first semester. Since he knew that I hated it, he'd always tease me, requesting that I write him love poems. I never did.

I never got the hang of all the terminology. The most I understood was "iambic pentameter"—and I barely grasped that. Analyzing literature—plays and novels, really—I am good at; analyzing poetry…I fail miserably.

Ah! Now I remember! For that project near the end of the year, we did a scrapbook for some poem about an urn, and my group of three procrastinated until the day of. They skipped fourth period and lunch to be able to tie it all together.

…Wait. That was a different project, too! That was the one that we did just before Winter Break.

The presentation I'm thinking of was where my group read off our note cards, analyzing some other poem. I don't even remember what it was about.

I can recall that I was nervous. We all stood in a cramped line along the front of the room (I forget why). I think it was that everyone had been assigned a little snippet of some sonnet, and that the class was being graded as a _whole_. I definitely remember that that guy Jeff had everyone pissed at him for reciting an answer he got off a text message.

See, the friend that text messaged him his answer was in the period before ours and had asked Murphy; she gave a false answer to the person; the person texted Jeff; Jeff actually used the incorrect answer. The entire class was pissed while Murphy, with her Hispanic wizened face and her bushy brown hair, grinned with great, gleeful amusement. Her eyes big, brown eyes were open wide, shining with it. I can't remember if or how much she marked us down, but I do remember that Sora was greatly amused. I can still see his grinning face; that gleam in his eye lingers in my mind.

* * *

**A/N: One clue down… nine to go. Riku's trip down memory lane is a long one, so be prepared for more memories of their time in high school together. I like their younger selves better than the older ones, but shhh! don't tell them that!**

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**Kagome-chan **


	3. Memory Lane: Part II

Chapter Three: Memory Lane: Part II

April was just plain hectic. It was sometime in April that the three younger grades had testing. The schedule became "block scheduling" for two weeks. It alternated between periods one, three, and five one day then periods two, four, and six the next.

The seniors were left with nothing to do, but they made us come to school anyway. We were shoved in the auditorium and entertained with assemblies. One day, there was a mind-reading game that the guy (a hired professional) on stage did. It involved someone guessing what words he read from a random book. Sora was greatly impressed. The next day had _hypnosis_.

Sora _loved_ the hypnosis. It was crazy how much he loved it. He loved it so much that he went upto be put under! It was amusing to watch, really.

It started off simple: relaxing music mixed with the soothing command to relax. This went on for five to ten minutes. The guy got the huge group seated on stage—in a big clump, on their butts—to slump to the left and right ("because you want to") into each other.

The hypnotist told Sora that he would be a lifeguard who, under certain conditions—hearing some noise or word or something—he would yell at the people in his pool. He even gave Sora a floaty thing to wear. I believe it had Disney print on it, though I could be wrong.

"Don't pee in my pool!" he'd shout at the cue. Then he'd point, cross his arms, and yell, "Don't poo in my pool!" The hypnotist ran up to Sora and poked him in the forehead. The brunet fell forward, "asleep," and the guy caught him in his arms. I made a noise of amusement while grinning. I think it was the floaty that really amused me. He looked so damn silly—cute, but silly.

Demyx had a Viking hat on and would yell in gibberish at us, the people whose country he was conquering. I cackled at the made-up language.

The hypnotist managed to convince people that they were cold and hot ("sticky, sticky, sweaty!"). He convinced them that they should sniff the person on their right because they smelled nice, resulting in people getting up close and personal with the others on stage. He convinced them that someone farted, and everyone wrinkled their noses—most people plugged them. He convinced them that they were itchy. (Everyone on stage started scratching.) He told them that everyone in the audience wore purple and pink polka dot bikinis, and so they pointed and laughed. Then he said that _they _were the ones in them—a couple of guys, including Sora, covered themselves with their hands. We laughed at their expense.

People were dying with laughter when he told the guys that they were giving birth. I couldn't breathe because I was laughing too hard at Sora.

I think some people were told to get off the stage. The numbers kept dwindling for some reason.

Everyone was at a horse race. They cheered for winning ten thousand munny. They panicked at "losing" the ticket (Sora turned in a complete circle as he patted himself down—meanwhile, Roxas, who was just a few paces away, patted his butt and freaked out: "WHERE IS IT?!"). And finally, there was relief as they were told that the ticket was there in their hands.

Kairi, whom Sora had dragged up there, was on her tricycle when she got a speeding ticket. She was told to lie, getting five years younger each time the hypnotist snapped his fingers. On the third time, she would have to say something a five-year-old would say to get out of a ticket. She cried and sobbed, "I'm sorry!" then "I wanted to play with my new bike!" and finally, "I wanted to get a Happy Meal at McDonald's!"

Next, they were five-year-olds told to play with their favorite toys. The guy offered the microphone to each of them after asking, "What's your toy?"

Very excited, Sora said super fast, "POWER RANGER!"

I nearly choked on my mirth.

"Which one?" the hypnotist prodded.

"THE RED ONE!"

I laughed my ass off. Meanwhile, Kairi was playing with a Barbie. Roxas was playing with a car. Most people were told to go sit back in the audience.

Two girls were forced to share a chair. They slumped over. One pushed the other. Next, they were supposed to sit perfectly balanced… then slump from time to time.

"Picture somewhere," the hypnotist requested, "…a world where there are no sixes. You are proud of your counting; you think other people are stupid. And you," he offered to the other girl, "picture a world where you count 'two-two'."

And so he did whatever cue and had them count.

"Haha! You're STUPID!"

"Let her finish!"

Meanwhile, we in the audience laughed at them.

Next, Naminé—I didn't even notice she was up there until this moment—was made to sit at the front of the stage and answer questions. First, she answered them normally. Following this, as part of the hypnosis, she was asked them again—and lied. She even changed her name.

By now, it was time for the ones who sat down to have some involvement again.

On the word "skeptic," Axel would yell—whatever came to mind about how he thought that hypnosis was fake.

At "Titanic," Sora was standing on the bow of the ship with his arms out, shouting, "I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!"

And at the hypnotist's call of "Awake! You're wide awake! Wondering what the heck you're doing!" he came back. Embarrassed, he sat back down next to me. I snickered, and he blushed.

On the word "love," two people were made to be Kermit the frog and Miss Piggy. The guy would call, "Miss Piggy! Where are you? I love you!" The two would then run and embrace. Upon breaking them out of it with whatever verbal cue it was, he asked, "Is that your girlfriend? What are you guys doing?" Again, the audience laughed. This was probably the funniest one.

At the word "gold," Demyx was looking for a leprechaun. He had to hold him. The hypnotist told him that Zexion was the leprechaun, so Demyx glommed onto his friend and asked for the gold.

A girl would slump over in her seat on "sleep".

When he heard the word "noise," Roxas would yell, "SHUT UP!" to everyone at large.

All of these words were yelled a few times, alternating between each.

For the next thing, the hypnotist had the audience help out with sound effects: us slapping our hands on our thighs would signal grenades, guns, and general warfare. Those who were hypnotized were to run for cover. Most people just dove to hide behind the seats. Scott grabbed his girlfriend and ran for the door with her—twice!

On the last thing, the hypnotist decided that "Here they come!" would be the trigger for everyone who was hypnotized to go to the front of stage and dance to "YMCA". Sora grinned and, like the goof that he was, did it wholeheartedly. Everyone returned to their seats. The hypnotist left them with these words: "You feel good—really good. This is the best day ever for you."

The people who participated were frequently asked afterward if they were really under. Apparently, they were—because Sora very earnestly remembered the "awful fart" and the bikinis. He clearly wasn't lying. I snickered, and he laughed self-consciously.

There were other assemblies, but I don't remember what went on in them. None could top the one with hypnosis. A hypnotized Sora is an amusing Sora indeed.

* * *

Bleeding into month three, which was from May to June, we worked on trying to get casual with our shy little kisses. All the while, we balanced schoolwork. There were AP tests in the beginning of May. AP Japanese seemed so much harder than AP Lit. I got a _three _on the former and a four on the latter. Sora got fours on both—the bastard! (Of course, we wouldn't get the results until summer.)

It's stupid, but his level of excellence in school still irritates me, though I've mostly let it go. Back then, I felt like, 'I'm the older one, so I should be the one who's better at everything!' Not so: Sora was right there with me, equal at most things, better at schoolwork, and very rarely below me. The only things I've ever beaten him at are sports-related. Somehow, I still wish I'd been equal with him or better than him with the schoolwork. I think the most frustrating thing was that he was always only _slightly _better, and no matter how hard I worked, I never beat him. It seemed to come to him effortlessly.

I can't remember which came first, but we also read and worked on the play _The Skin of Our Teeth_, as well as the book _The Things They Carried_. Both of these were towards the end of the year.

Actually, I think that we did _The Things They Carried _back at the end of March. Sora really liked it. Well, actually, I think he liked the music from the era of the Vietnam War that Mrs. Murphy played each day that we were doing that unit.

I can still see everyone scrambling to get five points of extra credit for being able to name why it was important that "Lemon Tree" was playing. (It was an upbeat song, which made it contrast with the mention of detached body parts; this really gave us a better idea of what the author, Tim O'Brien, had in mind.) Those who hadn't read the chapter missed out. Sora and I both turned in the little slip of scrap paper with smug expressions on our faces. Sora liked the song so much that he put it on his iPod—along with a couple of others.

I close my eyes, replaying the image of Sora sitting at his desk in AP Lit. I watched his mouth move as he mouthed along to "For What It's Worth" and "Paint It Black" on the days that they played. They were the ones that he knew beforehand. These would also join "Lemon Tree" on his iPod. He nodded his head in time with the beat, maintaining eye contact with me. He grinned when I smirked.

He really does love music.

When we first started, Mrs. Murphy made a comment on one of the beginning chapters. The narrator said that he felt that he was too smart to go to war. She pointed out, "I know you all are probably thinking the same thing."

She was right on the money: I was thinking that. However, I noticed that Sora looked like he disagreed with her. He _looked _like he thought that he'd go to war willingly. It scared me, seeing that. I would never want him to go to war. It made me grateful that we lived peacefully.

We watched some movie on the Vietnam War during that unit so that we could better understand the story. All I remember about it is that Sora and I sat next to each other, and that we both blushed at the scene where a young soldier (who had to have been around our age) stood buck naked and grinning for the camera. It was a full frontal shot. Mrs. Murphy didn't give a rat's ass about the nudity because we were all seniors and, presumably, eighteen.

On our way out, I confessed that I thought the guy was quite handsome; Sora gaped at me, partially amused and partially affronted. I laughed and said, "He reminded me of you." He blushed at this but smiled; the smile turned into a grin, and he guffawed. I think his ears were red, even.

To finish off this unit, we had an essay. Sora and I tied on our essays with B pluses. We even chose the same prompt. He was certainly less smug about that one, though he'd never once rubbed his higher grades in my face. I considered it a small victory in our academic dueling.

* * *

The thing that stands out in my mind about May—aside from the AP tests—is the fact that the Science building reeked of the dissections we were doing in Honors Anatomy.

Due to the fact that I had lunch right after third period, I skipped lunch during the two-week cat dissection, which was the worst of the dissections. They tried to get me to eat at first until I reminded them that I was one of the people in the actual _room _with the dead kitties. Their faces crinkled, and they both said, "Never mind."

I almost threw up even as I sat with Sora and Kairi in the open air because the smell in my nose had come down into my mouth—sort-of.

When I finished gagging and hacking, Sora wrinkled his nose and told me that I was very "un-sexy". I just swallowed and tried to figure out a way to get rid of the smell/ taste that lingered in my nasal and oral cavities.

_Stupid Anatomy… I did like Mr. Peck, though. He was a crazy but amusing guy. _

_

* * *

_Pretty soon, May gave way to June. Finals were coming up. We had an essay on _The Skin of Our Teeth_. Sora got a B plus; I got a B minus. I was pretty upset. He put his hand on my shoulder in much the same way that he did for _The_ _Importance of Being Earnest_ essay. This time, however, he was grinning, and I was not happy to have him try to comfort me. I was quite irritated at him, actually, though I tried not to let it show. I tried to act nonchalant, but I think he saw through me. It's why he quickly stopped trying to "comfort" me. No longer was he humble with his schoolwork like before we were this close.

We've always been ambitious; and throughout the semester, we unconsciously competed with our grades. Our final report cards would be the deciding factor.

On paper, I thought _The Skin of Our Teeth _was boring and _not _funny. When we watched it on video (a day that we had a sub), I got into it. Now sitting next to Sora, discreetly touching his leg with mine, I laughed right along with him at the play. We didn't laugh that much, though, because it really wasn't _that _amusing of a play. However, I enjoyed getting a break from class work (and getting to be up against Sora even with the side of the desk between us). We got to watch it for two days in a row.

School was winding down. Senioritis, present throughout the year, was especially bad at this point. It was really only my "competition" with Sora that kept me even _vaguely _motivated. We were both _done _with school: we wanted to be _free_.

About a week before graduation, the final edition of our school newspaper came out. In Math, Scott came in with a copy and read it aloud. We soon spent practically the entire period discussing the controversial article. (Mr. Turner was always so easily distracted; and since the class was almost entirely comprised of seniors—excluding one junior—we easily manipulated and distracted him.)

The writer was this girl in our AP Lit class. Sora and I _burned _with anger just at the title of the article. And we were ready to go scream at the girl who wrote it. (Thankfully, we had a couple of hours to calm down.)

* * *

**The Homosexuality Controversy **

Many people believe that no belief should be accepted without proof. I believe some things don't need proof; the truth of it comes from a person's conscience. Homosexuality is wrong. Period. Everyone knows that this is just a personal opinion, but most people have chosen to ignore the issue. In other words, "If it doesn't affect my life, I don't care." Even though homosexuality is at the forefront of political controversy, many people just lack concern.

The majority of Americans don't support gay marriage, yet in some states it is being legalized. Why does a minority opinion have preference over the majority? The "gay issue" has been a topic that's been pushed under the mat, so to speak. But if we continue to ignore it, it only leaves opportunity for the controversy to grow. Much of the discrepancy between supporters of gay rights and non-supporters of gay rights is based on a moral standpoint. Is it moral that two members of the same sex be together? For years, our nation has firmly believed, no, homosexuality is neither moral nor natural. Now, many are wondering whether America is simply clasping on to old beliefs.

At one time, integration seemed unethical. But these beliefs were based on years of racism and prejudice. It could be that these same layers of prejudice restrict our nation from accepting homosexuality. In a recent poll, the results show that 80% of Americans will tolerate homosexuality but will not support it. In addition, most people agree that gays should have freedom of choice, but are split on whether gay marriages should be legally recognized. The similarities between the civil rights movement and the gay rights movements are becoming more evident in many people's minds. But, unlike racism, which bases its hatred on skin color, homosexuality is not a trait a person is born with. The answer all boils down to one question: Is homosexuality an inborn trait like race or sex, or is it a lifestyle that a person deliberately chooses?

Some people argue that being gay is something you are born with, like race or gender. But the difference between skin color and gender, and sexual preference is the word preference. Being gay is not an in-born trait; it is something that is willfully chosen later on in life. For example, imagine two young boys who are raised in the same house. They are both raised alone by their mother and they have no male influences in their life. One day one of the boys grows up and realizes that he is attracted to men. Later on in life, he chooses to be gay. Because homosexuality is something you choose to act upon, it is not an instinct characteristic, and therefore cannot be determined at birth. Let's say for a moment that homosexuality is an inherited trait. How could it be passed on?

The definition of an inherited trait is that one or both of the parents passed this trait on the child. If this is true, that would have to mean that the parents were homosexual first. But simply because a son or daughter is gay goes not mean the parents are gay. Likewise, because the parents might be gay does not mean the child will be gay. There is no valid evidence that homosexuality is ordained or intended by nature. In this way, science does not support homosexuality. Since being attracted to someone of the same sex is not something a person is born having, the argument that homosexuality is natural is false.

Not only does science disprove homosexuality, it also supports heterosexuality. Have you ever used nature as a mirror for human behavior? Scientists observe animals to analyze their sexual behavior and how they reproduce for evolutionary purposes. In nature, being homosexual wouldn't serve an evolutionary purpose because animals wouldn't be able to reproduce. The inherited trait would be passed on to more offspring, and over time the animals would become extinct because two males and two females cannot reproduce. Likewise, a homosexual trait in animals would be of the same effectiveness as a homosexual trait in humans. If homosexuality is a natural trait, nature would be working against itself because the human race would go extinct. This fact alone proves that homosexuality isn't intended by nature. But it is a willful choice that is determined by a person's lifestyle and behavior.

In today's society people are afraid to believe in right or wrong. To them, there is no black and white; everything is left in an ambiguous gray area. Some people still choose to ignore the issue of homosexuality because it doesn't concern them. But, whether homosexuality is decided by "nature or nurture" is the question that keeps the morality of homosexuality yet ambiguous.

* * *

The period was spent with many people heatedly defending homosexuality. Sora was the first to comment.

"Okay. Above all, the author of this article is stupid. She starts off on one standpoint—'Homosexuality is wrong'—then gets wishy-washy! She pulls facts out of her ass! Eighty percent? What study said this? Who was in charge of the study? What the hell gives it credibility?

"Then she calls it unnatural and goes on to talk about it being a choice versus in-born traits. I just… I…" He pursed his lips, unable to finish speaking because his anger stole his words.

I hesitantly took up his argument. "She says that you don't see it in the wild. Uh… yeah, you do!"

Axel, who was lounging at the back of the room with nothing out on his desk, called, "It's called population control!" People laughed. Even Sora cracked a smile.

"And her grammar is crap!" Sora griped, having borrowed the newspaper to look over the written version. I smiled, sucking back a laugh. He quickly went on, demonstrating, "She's got commas splices and missing commas, and she never has 'that' where it should be! And she said 'prove' even though there is no evidence in her stupid article!—unless you count the 'facts' that she pulled out of her ass! Plus, her use of 'ambiguous' is ironic because she was trying so hard to end it ambiguously to counteract the fact that she was being so biased in the beginning!"

Everyone gaped at him—including me. His intelligence really showed in this rapid-fire analysis.

Sora huffed, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. It was at this point that other people joined the fray, commenting on how horrible the article was and tossing in their opinions. We didn't learn anything about math, but we learned that a good portion of our class believed in gay rights. I considered this to be the silver lining.

My finals were semi-easy. Sora and I studied together for all of them that we shared: Economics, Probability and Statistics, AP Japanese, and AP Lit (though this just required us sorting out ideas for our final project).

Our Economics final was tedious because it was long—with at least forty multiple-choice questions—and involved an essay question, but it was easy because it was a very basic review of the year, and Sora and I had done well throughout. The Prob & Stats one was still open-note, but Mr. Turner wanted every step shown. I cheated off Scott, and Sora (who had moved back in March to sit next to me due to his "vision problems") cheated off me. My Honors Anatomy one had seventy questions and was probably my hardest final because it really required studying. At least I did well on it—and that stupid detailed journal about the cat dissections. The final for AP Japanese was _easy _in comparison to the AP test. Sora and I breezed through it, confident that we got A's.

Our final for AP Lit consisted of our satire projects. They were all entertaining, but my favorite was Sora's. He satirized the construction that'd been going on all year, but he simultaneously satirized that awful article. His short story started with: "Construction is wrong. Period." It got sillier as it went along, but I remember gaping at his guts—the girl who wrote the atrociously-biased piece of crap was sitting right _there _in front of him, just a couple of seats to my right! Sora's logic: he'd never see the girl again after this, so it didn't matter.

Unfortunately, as we learned during announcement time during third period, it was too late in the year for a retraction, though the staff did apologize. As soon as I was out of my Anatomy room, I scurried off to find Sora.

* * *

Seriously lacking in school spirit, Sora and I ditched the senior rally, choosing to go to the library instead. It was here that Zexion was, reading (as usual). Sora and I sat down at his table despite not being invited. He didn't even look up—let alone say hello. Demyx, who was usually at his side, was missing because he was in the band, and the band was playing at the rally. Kairi was on dance team, and they were performing at the rally as well.

Neither Sora nor I wanted to go to Senior Night—the night where the graduating class went somewhere as a group to party. Instead, we hung out at my place. My parents were out to dinner, but they left money for us to order pizza. As we lay side by side, watching TV, we considered it a much better alternative.

On graduation night, we all went out to dinner: Sora, his parents, Kairi, her parents, Axel, Roxas, Naminé, Zexion, Demyx, all of their parents, my parents, and myself. They (our parents) took this opportunity to get to know each other and familiarize one another with the fact that their babies were growing up and heading off to college. We, the "kids," were greatly embarrassed but chose to let it slide. Our parents were perfectly justified, after all.

Due to the fact that neither Sora nor I had come out to our parents, no one saw any problem with me spending the night at his house. Though I had been there a few times—and he to mine—it was an entirely different experience spending the night. We camped out on the living room floor with pillows and a great deal of blankets, watching movies and pigging out on junk food (chips and ice cream, to be precise). When we couldn't take any more, we got up to prepare for bed. I mainly remember being embarrassed at changing in Sora's downstairs bathroom. It was foreign to me, resulting in my discomfort. I knew I couldn't sleep in my boxers, so I brought a tank top and some comfortable shorts to wear with them.

Sora blushed a little as he saw me. He'd already changed and brushed his teeth upstairs while I was getting ready down below. His attire was similar to mine. At this point, this was the most naked we had ever seen each other.

Since no one was around by the time we were ready to go to bed, the two of us hesitantly shared a little kiss as we lay on our sides. We laughed silently, more of a self-conscious gust of air through our teeth. We blushed in the darkness as we wished each other a good night's rest. For a long moment, we just stared into each other's eyes. We blinked. We timidly stole another minty-fresh kiss before turning our backs to each other, not wanting to face each other first thing in the morning.

The morning was awkward. First, there was the obvious reason that every guy has to deal with in the morning. The less obvious reason was that, truthfully, I'd never spent the night at a friend's house before this. The fact that I was at my _boyfriend's_ house just made it that much more awkward. Still, come breakfast, the awkwardness subsided. We changed into normal clothes, and things went back to normal.

Sora drove us down to the high school to pick up our diplomas, which weren't in the green holders handed to us at the graduation ceremony. This was the school's insurance policy so that people wouldn't play pranks at graduation—like streaking. The campus was empty, making it seem a bit eerie.

As we stepped up to the Student Services window and waited for our final transcripts and our diplomas to be handed to us, Sora sighed. At my curious look, he confessed, "I'm really going to miss high school."

Abruptly getting depressed, I realized, "Me, too."

He grinned at me, but there was remorse in his eyes. "I really wish I'd done it sooner." I knew that the 'it' meant his love confession.

"Me, too."

"We could have been high school sweethearts."

I nodded, affirming, "Yeah…but we can be sweethearts from now on."

He grinned, liking this greatly. Getting a playful look on his face, he tugged at a belt loop on my shorts then released it. We neglected each other for a moment in order to regard our _former _campus.

The lady at the window had managed to get our manila envelopes by now. She smiled as she congratulated us; we thanked her then took our leave. It felt strange to know that we'd probably never walk through these gates ever again.

On our way to my house, which had a trampoline in the backyard that Sora was dying to try out, we stopped by the ice cream shop near the school so that we could reminisce about our favorite things about high school.

We spent a great deal of time laughing about Mrs. Murphy, our strict but beloved AP Lit teacher. She made the craziest faces, and we really liked her bluntness. From here, we talked about our other teachers, spending another big blob of time on Naegino-sensei, our AP Japanese teacher. In general, we really would miss high school.

I remember that part of the day, but what stands out more, for some odd reason, is Sora's wild laughter and enchanting grin as we bounced around on my trampoline, both with our feet and our butts. It's one of my fondest memories of us.

* * *

Over the next couple of months, we managed to get comfortable with all that we'd done so far, but we weren't sure how to go about taking it to the next level.

It wasn't until the end of summer that we even attempted a real make-out session. It was really awkward. We sat on Sora's bed and stared at each other, laughing nervously. We leaned in but stopped, unsure of where to put our hands. Sora decided to leave one on the bed while putting the other on my shoulder. I kept one in my lap but put its partner on Sora's thigh. I distinctly remember that his shorts were really soft—I really liked the material.

We leaned in more, sharing air while guffawing nervously. Up until now, our kisses hadn't lasted more than a couple of seconds at best…and now we were going to try and get _serious_.

It was an unspoken thing. Sora had invited me to hang out at his place, which usually meant lounging on beanbag chairs while playing video games and partaking of junk food and soda. That day, the eighth of August, actually, after we had our fill of video games, we went back to his room and took our seats on his bed.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and it was _hot_. Luckily, though, Sora had central air, so his room was cool. His whole house was cool. I think we both felt on fire, though, because we were so anxious and was our five-month anniversary, and we were determined to do something of a more mature nature—even if it was just making out.

Neither of us knew what we were doing because we were each other's first _everything_.

I grin but blush fiercely as I recall that we bumped teeth for a bit until we learned how to avoid both tasted like orange soda (as this was the last thing to enter our mouths). Our tongues were nowhere near sexy; they were more like slugs. We didn't realize at first that it's much better with less tongue. There was much embarrassing trailing of saliva when we pulled apart. We were horribly embarrassed and awkward, but we managed to laugh it off and try some more. We eventually got the hang of it by the time orientation for college rolled around at the end of August.

September was an upgraded version of making out. We were now experienced; we lay on top of each other in our large bed in our dorm room while doing it. We didn't try rubbing our bodies together until October. As soon as we got even a little bit aroused, we stopped, not ready to take that next step. That came in November: we made out and rubbed against each other until we were hard…and then we jerked each other off. I remember we giggled like children as we lay next to each other afterward. The awkwardness vanished that day…that is, until we reached the next plateau in our sex life: oral.

* * *

Shaking my head at my wandering mind, I recall that I'd originally been reminiscing about past Valentine's Days.

Valentine's Day, 2009: Sora made me that lovely CD, as well as a home-made candlelit dinner full of love—not to mention the fact that it marks the anniversary of when we first had anal sex together. It all happened in our dorm room, which just made it that much sweeter. It made it _cozy _and _silly_ in an endearing sort of way.

This, of course, gets me to reminisce that Christmas of '08 (our freshman year of college) was when we first had oral sex together. It seems that all of our sexual exploits happened in that room: jerking each other off, oral, anal….

We like to refer to that Christmas as our "mutual gift-giving". We left our boxers and pants on…mostly…except for pulling them down enough to expose our junk, leaving them around our knees. We basically just imitated the porn videos we'd seen thus far and stuck with basic instinct—such as not using teeth, because that would _probably_ hurt. For each of our turns, we sat, wanting to be in a position to see well.

Sora blew me first, and it made me feel high. I'd never felt anything as wonderful as the _warm _and the _wet _that his beautiful, beautiful mouth provided. I shiver just thinking about the way that he reduced me to a brainless creature that could hardly produce a single word—certainly nothing polysyllabic. Even his name became something stuttered and choppy on my lips. I couldn't make my mouth function. I couldn't move. My muscles were good for nothing: some were tensed, as hard as rocks; others had turned to mush. I just lay there and enjoyed the sensation of him _sucking _on me, licking me, kissing, but _sucking_, _sucking_, _sucking_! Oh, the way his breath gusted from his nostrils and hit my abdomen. Mmm! And there were little noises in his throat that I thoughtlessly echoed just because the higher functioning of my brain was nowhere to be found. Aside from mindlessly mimicking him, I made noises that I had no idea were in me—things like the emphatic 'Mmm!' and just the _weirdest _'nyah!' sort of noise. I can't even probably describe it.

He swallowed when I came. When this was done, I pulled my pants back up while he lowered his.

Like much in our lives, it was a competition. I wanted to see if I could turn him—the oh-so-brilliant Sora—into the mindless sludge I'd been reduced to. I wanted to steal his articulate words from him; I wanted to make _his _mouth stop working; I wanted to make him make noises that would later be laughable. I wanted him dependent on me like I'd been dependent on him. I wanted him to believe that I held the key to the pleasure, as I believed of him.

I smirk at the thought of us fighting over a symbolic key. In my loopiness, I even give us a title to work with:

'No, I'm the Keyblade Master!' I protest—

'No, _I _am!' Sora argues—

'Grr! Fuck you!'—

'Isn't that what we're doing?' he quips.

I laugh at myself. I'm getting silly. I think it's necessary, though, because I really don't want to get a hard-on at work from remembering the amazing oral from Christmas '08. _Anyway…_

Since he had the guts to swallow, this led to me swallowing his because I felt like I'd been dared (even if this wasn't the truth). Things were really awkward after that. They only improved the more that we did sexual things (like jerking each other off or blowing each other). Oral is still our favorite.

Again, I quickly push this aside lest I begin to fantasize and, therefore, get a hard-on at work. It's much better if I go back to thinking about past Valentine's Days.

Valentine's Day, 2010: We moved into our apartment this year. (Well, technically, it was October of '09 when we moved in, but whatever.) Sora treated me to a massage, which ended in the most amazing sex we've ever had. We were so connected that it felt like we were one person. It was physical but only vaguely; it felt far more spiritual than any other time. We've never been able to top it. There was so much love and magic that night that it's impossible to replicate.

And after our love-making session, we shared a bubble bath, the tiny bathroom lit with small scented candles. We somehow managed to find a way to fit comfortably together. Sora idly scrubbed my back, chest, and arms before I returned the favor. It was warm and soapy and wonderful—perfectly relaxing. I was drowning in his love, and I didn't mind a bit. Back in bed, cozy and relaxed, we fell asleep as we always do: in each other's arms. That night, however, there was magic in the air.

Valentine's Day, 2011: For some reason, we didn't feel like doing much this year, so we just snuggled on the couch while watching romantic comedies, eating Chinese food, and then having chocolate cake (which Sora baked and decorated with chocolate and red frosting). It was a lazy Valentine's Day, and we conked out semi-early, too lazy to even make love.

Valentine's Day, 2012: The two of us went out to a fancy restaurant and shared some "bubbly" (as Sora likes to call it). We walked there because it wasn't far from home…and because we planned on getting drunk.

Rather intoxicated, we laughingly stumbled our way home. That night's love-making was bizarre but wonderful in its own sloppy, inebriated way. The only thing I really remember about it is that I pinned Sora to the bed with my hands as I drunkenly made love to him doggy-style and slobbered all along his neck in my attempts to kiss him—oh, and that my member slipped out of his ass. I ended up coming all over the back of his knees, leading to an interesting clean up. We still laugh about it. Even now, I'm busy trying not to snicker. I'm nearly choking to death on my mirth.

Valentine's Day, 2013: Last year. We went to the movies, snuggling during the film while pigging out on popcorn, candy, and soda. I don't even remember what we saw, because I was too busy drinking in Sora's scent and warmth. When we got home, as soon as we got in and took off our shoes, I grabbed Sora's hand and basically dragged him back to the bedroom. He grinned and let me do whatever I wanted to him without a single complaint. He told me later as we were lying naked under the covers that he likes it when I take control. I smirked and told him that I'm not sure which I prefer. "I like it both ways," I said. We fell asleep, as we were, not caring about our nudity.

I'm grinning like an idiot. I really, honestly _adore _our Valentine's Day celebrations together—no matter what happens. Maybe it's just because of how we got together, but Valentine's Day has become one of my favorite holidays because of Sora.

* * *

**A/N: That article that I stuck in here was a real article published in my high school's newspaper the year that I graduated. I was so very angry that I had to keep taking breaks during my typing. Unfortunately, with my satire project, I didn't have the guts to add in the line that I had Sora say, which is why I had Sora say it. lol.**

**If you can't tell, we are nearing the end of the fic. If you count the epilogue as a chapter, we're halfway through. **

**And in case anyone wonders why I update so quickly: this has been pre-written for quite some time. I've just been holding onto it. **

**Please review! **

**Kagome-chan **


	4. The Path to Love

Chapter Four: The Path to Love

I'm back to trying to imagine what will happen in a couple of hours when Sora goes hunting for his clues, all the while eating my lukewarm lunch.

I taped the next clue underneath the table where we first sat together as teenagers…as crushes revealed. We still sit there when we go there. We go there so often that the employees of the bookstore/ café consider us friends—and vice versa.

The second letter is short yet sweet:

_I was so nervous about going into the shop. I wanted it to be you so very badly. I don't know what I would have done if it weren't you. I'm beyond grateful that it was you. I love you. _

I wrote on the index card:

_CLUE # 2:  
Our first kiss _

The envelope is taped underneath the bench in the gazebo. The letter says:

_Everyone assumes from looking at me that even though I'm introverted and bookish that I must be the aggressive type when it comes to expressing love. That's not so. _

_It was really hard trying to be social during high school. I was always the quietest one of the teams/ clubs/ groups. With group work, I always waited to be invited—because everyone liked me for my reputation with sports. It felt so fake, trying to be outgoing. It's not me. You know this by now. _

_The truth is that I'm actually quite shy. It was all I could do just to lean in to meet you. I think our first kiss will forever be our best one. I love you. _

I had to write small for the next one:

_CLUE # 3: _

_The place where you told me _

_that you believed in true love because of me. _

This is actually just down the walkway from the gazebo. I tucked the next envelope underneath a bush of sweet-smelling flowers.

Oddly, it makes me want to cry to remember the way that Sora and I stood there, hand in hand. I stared at him, and he regarded the sky as he said those words just shortly after our first kiss. And then he looked at me, smiled, and squeezed my hand. That was when I knew that we'd be together forever. I realized at that moment that we wouldn't be just two teenage boys dating their crushes: We were two people who had found their soul mates, and we weren't about to let each other go. We were so moved by the magical declaration that we shyly hugged, standing around in each other's embrace.

My letter even says:

_You made me believe in true love, too. Even then, I wanted to be with you forever. I love you. _

Even though I've tried to keep things in a certain radius, things are still spread out.

_CLUE # 4: _

_Where we said "I love you" for the first time_

Every detail is still crisp and fresh in my memory.

* * *

It was April Fool's Day, of all days—April 01, 2008. I think the only reason we waited so long to say it aloud is because it didn't seem necessary to say it. We'd been dating for less than a month, but we'd been crushing on each other for about four years. The fact that we even waited at all to say it made it seem long overdue.

But, anyway, Sora and I sat on my front porch, side by side on the old yet comfortable swing. Our feet shifted, idly moving us forward very slowly. It creaked beneath our weight. There was a cool breeze, and the sky was a crisp blue. The clouds were a pristine white. It was a beautiful day.

We were discussing past April Fool's Day pranks. Neither of us had pulled any, because we didn't like the idea of pulling pranks on others…nor did we like being made a fool. As such, we stuck to "public" ones—things printed online or in the school newspaper.

We fell quiet, and Sora regarded the sky—namely, a particular fluffy white cloud. "I wonder what a cloud would taste like," he mused.

I laughed and shook my head, unable to think of a response. Without thinking, I cried, "I love you!" in a 'You're so adorable' sort of way.

Realizing what I said, I blushed and looked down at my lap, where my hands were. My cheeks got even warmer as Sora put his hand on mine then put his head on my shoulder, smiling dreamily. I'll never forget the thrill that shot through me the first time I heard, "I love you, too, Riku." I admittedly grinned like a fool. It never even crossed my mind that we'd said something so serious and sincere on April Fool's Day.

For this, I put the letter under the seat cushion.

_I should have said something like, "A cloud would taste like a bunch of cold air, probably!"—something really serious to make you laugh. THEN, I would have leaned over, kissed your cheek, and said sweetly in your ear, "I love you, Sora." _

I rather wish that this were what had happened. Alas, it is not: the first time I told Sora that I loved him, it sounded like I didn't mean it, which will forever irritate me even though I _know _he knows that I meant it wholeheartedly.

_CLUE # 5: _

_Camping out, star-gazing. _

During summer break, right around July of '08, Sora thought it would be fun to camp out in his backyard. I think he meant it as a way for us to cling to our youth before we were to go off to college. And so, we lay in the thin dome tent, staring up through the opening at the stars. Sora had his head on my chest; he was listening to my heart. I had my arms around him while I gazed at the night sky. He sighed and mumbled, "I wish that a shooting star would streak across the sky."

Smiling in bemusement, I asked, "Why?" even though I could probably predict the answer. Somehow, he took me by surprise.

"I've never seen one in real life. I want to know if it's the same as you see in movies."

"Probably," I responded. We lay in silence together for a while. I silently but fervently wished that a shooting star would fly across the sky so that Sora could see it.

Just as I was dozing off, probably around midnight, I felt Sora stiffen with a gasp. I looked first to him then followed his gaze to the sky. I blinked, seeing nothing. "What?" I wondered.

He grinned, announcing with reverence, "A shooting star…I finally saw one."

"Did you make a wish?"

"Well, yeah! But I can't tell you, or it won't come true."

I rolled my eyes even though I really thought that this was very cute.

He abruptly wondered, "Did you make a wish?"

I reminded him, "I didn't really see it. Don't you have to see it to make a wish?"

His lips formed a bit of a pout. "Yeah, I guess." His cheer picked right back up as he inquired, "What would you wish for if you did see one?"

Smiling, I gazed into his star-struck eyes. They reminded me of the night sky above us. "I'd wish for us to be together forever."

He beamed, but it soon melted into something softer. "You don't need a shooting star for that," he murmured as we peered into each other's souls. There was a hint of hesitation before we kissed.

I've spent so much time in a daze that my lunch break is almost over. I quickly gobble down the rest of my (now cold) food then chug the rest of my water bottle, tossing each in the trash and recycling container respectively on my way back to work.

* * *

I am on my way out of the office by four-thirty. I am now free to let my mind wander. I get in my car but don't even turn on the ignition. Instead, I think of the rest of my treasured memories.

This next letter is wedged between the potted plants sitting on the veranda just outside of the sliding glass doors—Sora's house. No one was home, and I used a spare key to slip back there.

It says:

_I wished that a shooting star would appear so that you could see one. I don't know if that's what made it happen, but I'm glad that I did. I really do want to be with you forever. I love you. _

The index card hints:

_CLUE # 6: _

_Feel the breeze! _

In the summer before college, after our time in the backyard, we decided to go to the littlest island of the archipelago—"Let go exploring!" Sora exclaimed with a gleam in his eye.

We left in the early morning so that we could spend the whole day there. After mooring our little boat (which I rowed on both trips since my arm muscles were more developed), we stood on the little dock. We moved to the end and peered out at the horizon. It was all so blue—the water, the sky…Sora's crystal-clear eyes. He shut his eyes and grinned, gushing, "Feel the breeze! It's amazing!"

I could feel it just fine with my eyes open (I really enjoyed watching Sora), but he insisted that I shut my eyes and stand as he was. We held hands and stood there almost reverently, letting the ocean breeze wash over us, tousling our hair and clothes.

This morning, when I stood there, I smiled to myself, shut my eyes, and basked in the chilly air. I didn't stay long—just long enough to deposit three envelopes on the little island. It's one of our favorite places.

And so, the first letter on the island, tucked between the boards of the dock, says:

_Welcome to our sanctuary. Somehow, it feels like we don't come here enough even though I know we come at least once every two weeks. It's just got that "magical aura" (as you so aptly called it) that makes you never want to leave. I love this place, and I love you. _

I feel a little badly that I'm making Sora go all over creation on this scavenger hunt—especially because of where he will end up. But I'm pretty sure that he won't mind since he loves the little island so much. It's like a little vacation spot from our daily lives.

_CLUE # 7:_

_Treasure Hunters!_

Once we dragged ourselves from our moment of peace, Sora thought it'd be fun to go exploring, so we set out, starting with the area closest to us: the tree house and the waterfall. It was while we were by the waterfall that Sora noticed the foliage covering the hole—the obscured entrance to a pathway back into a hidden cave. He grinned at me and reached for my hand, gripping it strongly while using his other one to push aside the greenery. Together, doubled over, we made our way into the foreign territory.

I almost wanted to ask, 'What if there are bears or bats or bees?' (or something of the sort), but I didn't want to seem like the more childish one. To my surprise, Sora stated, "If there's anything back here, I say we just run."

I laughed and replied, "Sounds good to me."

There was nothing in the empty cave except for a fallen tree branch that somehow made it through the hole in the ceiling of the cave. Sunlight streamed through that hole now. The whole place felt _mystical_.

"I wonder if there's buried treasure in here," Sora mused with a grin.

I didn't really want to dash his hopes by pointing out how hard the ground beneath our feet was. There were clearly layers of rocks beneath the dirt. I also knew that he wasn't serious at all: we both knew that there was nothing here, but it was fun to pretend.

And it was here, in this cave, that I placed the next envelope. It sits right next to the childish little drawing that Sora and I carved on the stone wall: the two of us smiling at each other.

It was Sora's idea to draw the paopu, which led to bodiless arms being drawn disjointedly to our heads. We laughed at how stupid the drawings looked. If he'd wanted to, he could have made it good, made it detailed. "But where's the fun in that?" he teased. I think he really just liked acting like a little kid…and matching my skill level. I really am a terrible artist.

_This place makes you want to believe in magic, doesn't it? You can't help but feel __reverent__ when you stand here. I love our crappy little drawings, and I love you. _

After we decided that we should move on, we pushed our way out of the cave and continued exploring the rest of the island. Our final stop was the islet connected to the rest of the island by a bridge made of wide boards nailed together—a bridge with no handrails or ropes or anything. As we crossed it, we clung to each other, sticking to the center even though the drop below would hardly be much at all. It was a silly thing to do because the bridge was perfectly sturdy. As soon as we realized this, we relaxed.

_CLUE # 8: _

_Care to share your destiny with me? _

Upon stepping off the bridge, we immediately set out to lounge on the bent trunk of the paopu tree. The trunk was practically horizontal. Sora lay across it on his back while I leaned back against it with my arms crossed. He got irritable that we weren't touching, so he tried scooting down (without bothering to get up) so that his leg could be touching my back. He nearly fell off but caught himself in time. I pointed out, "You could have asked me to move."

"Where's the fun in that?" he retorted with his trademark grin. Once he was settled again (this time, with his leg against my back), he clasped his hands behind his head in a makeshift pillow and sighed contentedly. "This must be heaven." I smiled my agreement, my eyes set on the horizon.

"Hey, Sora…" I hesitantly started.

When I didn't continue, he prodded, "Yeah?"

Blushing faintly, I questioned, "Do you remember the legend of the paopu?"

He grinned, unleashing a soft laugh. "Who doesn't? It's instilled in the islands themselves, probably. That must be why it's so magical—that even the islands whisper the legends."

His eyes sparkled, and I gazed at him, breathless. He honestly didn't realize how easily he stole my heart. Once I recovered my breath, I intoned, "I want to share the paopu with you. I want our destinies to be entwined forever!"

He just shot me the most adorable grin. I knew right then and there that we'd partake in the ritualistic sharing of the paopu fruit.

* * *

This morning, I stood there and smiled at the memory of us sharing the fruit.

We laughed at how our faces got covered in juice. We commented on how tasty it was. We were so unbelievably happy, yet there was a certain seriousness to this moment. As childish as it was, we believed in the legend wholeheartedly; we believed that our destinies were now entwined, and that nothing could tear us apart. That's what made it so thrilling and enticing.

I wedged the letter between a rock and the trunk of the "magical" tree, making certain that, like the one in the dock, no breeze could carry it away. My hand practically petted the trunk that I was so fond of.

We've spent so many hours together there. It truly is our sanctuary.

_I'd only tasted the paopu once before in my life—and that was by myself, when I was little. When I shared it with you, it was the most delicious fruit I've ever had: tangy yet sweet, melting in my mouth as it made my tongue ache. The paopu-flavored kiss we shared after we finished eating it has been one of my favorite kisses—not better than our first kiss, but pretty damn close. _

_I love you. _

I imagine Sora smiling at this. It makes me smile to picture him doing so.

_CLUE # 9: _

_It's the only hotel on the island._

_See the clerk for your final envelope._

Glancing at my watch, I realize that I need to get going. I still need to check on the arrangements with the hotel staff. I smirk as I think of the final letter—the one that will undoubtedly still be in Sora's hand when I see him enter the room.

_I hope you've enjoyed this little Valentine's Day adventure. You've got one more step before you'll reach your goal: you have to find the room on your own. I've instructed the hotel employees not to help you. Happy hunting! _

I picture him getting exasperated as he digs out the final clue…then smirking as he reads it. He knows the answer right away.

_CLUE # 10: _

_Your favorite number_

_

* * *

_

I get to the hotel with plenty of time to spare. The sun is just beginning to set. I check in, and the female behind the counter smiles, wishing me a happy Valentine's Day. I grin and reply, "Thank you."

Since we live on the largest, most industrial island, there are more people. Not everybody on this island knows everybody else. Most of the people on the island right now are tourists, anyway. Thankfully, we live in a quieter region with less hustle and bustle.

I think the hotel staff thinks that Sora is my _girlfriend_. I don't care, though. We have no need to stay here ever again.

I'm quite proud of myself as I head on up to the room, where I work on making sure that everything is arranged just how I want it. I'm giddy because soon I will know if all of my hard work has paid off. More importantly, soon, Sora will be in my arms, and I will be able to ravish him and claim him as mine once again.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter is the chapter you've all been waiting for. Thank you for your patience. **

**: D **

**Hope you're enjoying the fic! **

**Kagome-chan **


	5. Happy Valentine's Day!

**A/N: I'll say all this now instead of at the end. **

**Thank you all for reading both **_**Crush **_**and this. And an even BIGGER thank you to those who reviewed and/ or added them to your favorites! I'm sad that so few people have reviewed, but I'm happy that you've chosen to read this at all. Yay! Lol. **

**I hope you've enjoyed my Valentine's Day "specials". Thanks again! Happy Valentine's Day! **

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter Five: Happy Valentine's Day!

I sit in one of the luxurious chairs, which I have placed by the carts laden with room service. I can't help the grin on my face. I'm confident that Sora will like his little "adventure". It's so perfectly _him_.

I sit, and I think about the stickers I used—of all things!

The one on the bed is the most precious to me: _S.W.A.K._—otherwise known as "Sealed With A Kiss".

The one under the table at the café portion of the bookstore features an orange heart with the words: _Sweet Stuff_. This seemed fitting because of the sweet drinks we ordered on that fateful day.

The one at the gazebo has a light blue heart that says: _Kiss Me. _

The one beneath the flower bush sports a light green heart that requests: _Be Mine_. It makes me think of Sora declaring that I make him believe in true love.

The one buried under the seat of the swing bears a pink heart that declares: _I Love You_.

The one in Sora's backyard, under the flowerpot, has a lilac-colored heart calling him "My Angel".

The one on the dock has a pale yellow heart that calls him a "Cutie Pie".

The one in the cave sports another lilac-colored heart; this one says "Wild Thing".

The one by the paopu tree is a dark yellow—like the star-shaped fruit—and bears the words "Love Me".

And, finally, the one at the hotel is affixed with an orange heart that calls us "Best Friends".

I spent a decent amount of time deliberating over which stickers to put with which envelopes. I think Sora will like my choices.

Half an hour later, which is spent with me daydreaming about the moment that my love will walk through the door, there comes a knock at the door. I startle at it, still lost in thought.

_"Hellooooo?" _

I laugh as I get up, striding quickly to the door. I am greeted to the sight of a grinning Sora. He exclaims, "I was wrong: you're _pure _romance!" He steps into the room; I shut the door behind him. He puts his hands on my chest, and we kiss. He teases, "But _P.S. I Love You _much?"

I scowl quite fiercely, scaring Sora—making him fear that he has offended me.

"Oh, my God! I was just kidding! Just kidding! Just kidding, pooky!" I curse his use of the faux pet name—which he only says when I'm mad or sad to make me laugh and forget about being upset. I clench my jaw and purse my lips so that I don't succumb to its power. The corners of my mouth twitch, but I refuse to cave. "Don't kill me! It was a joke! You know I hate that movie, too!"

I purse my lips tighter. He grabs my shoulders and starts shaking me, crying desperately like I've just died, "POOKY!" I burst into laughter, unable to hold it in; he grins then does the same. "Hehehe… Works like a charm!"

I poke his cheek, and he retaliates by shoving his thumbs in my mouth to better grab my cheeks. He tugs at them, and I bat him away. "Pleh! Cut it out!"

He wickedly goes, "Hee hee hee!" like a little boy. I can't help but smile at him. My arms wrap around him, holding him against me. It feels like his body was made to fit mine.

"You hungry? I've taken the liberty of ordering our dinner."

"Starved!" he gushes. Still trapped in my arms, he narrows his eyes at me while ruefully admitting, "You had me going all over the place!" I'm vaguely worried that he's unhappy until he beams and declares, "Oh, but it was so worth it! I love you!" He kisses me before I can say it back, so I give my usual reply when we pull apart.

While we eat our meal (which Sora claims is "ORGASMIC!"), we discuss the past. We swim in nostalgia as we remember our first year together. We laugh quite a bit. It seems rather silly to us now, though we wouldn't change a bit. We happen to think that our relationship is perfect the way it is—even with all of our silly arguments that really just exist because it's fun to argue sometimes. We never seriously get angry at one another; it's a physical impossibility.

After dinner, there is dessert: chocolate mousse cake. But before I reveal this, I hand my boyfriend an envelope. He takes it warily, his eyes uncertain as he attempts a weak smile. Meanwhile, I'm trying not to act _too _excited in case he ends up not liking my surprise, which would result in me becoming horribly crushed.

I swear it takes him far too long to tear it open. He tugs the contents out, and I feel like I'm choking on my heart in my throat.

He stares at the airplane tickets like he can't understand them. Finally, he drags his eyes back to meet mine and questions, "California?"

Amused by his reaction, I explain, "You keep saying how you want to go to Disneyland, but we've never gotten around to it."

A tiny smile peeps out at me as he regards the envelope in his hands. "We've just been so busy with life, I guess."

"I'm trying to make up for your neglected childhood."

Getting embarrassed, he complains, "But I'm going to look like an idiot! A grown adult acting like a kid? Ahh!"

I laugh at him, retorting, "Sora! That's the whole point of Disneyland! Even _adults _get to act like kids! …You've really never been." I shake my head in amazement.

His eyes narrow as he sulkily mumbles, "Way to rub it in…."

This whole time, I've been expecting him to get excited. I'm a bit disappointed that his reaction is so low-key.

'_Well,' _I tell myself, _'I guess I'll just wait and see his excited face when we get to the park.' _

When Sora continues to just stare down at his present, I prod, "Don't I get a thank you or some kind of gratitude?"

"Huh? Oh. Umm…" He blinks at me, seemingly unable to move an inch. "Thanks." He grins, and it's cute as usual, but not the grin I've been hoping to see.

I shake my head, sighing. I suppose I'll just chalk it up to disbelief. "You're welcome." To distract myself from my disappointment, I reveal our dessert. To this, at least, Sora reacts like he usually does: with great, childish excitement.

"CAKE! Ooh, and it's my favorite, too!"

"Of course!" I'm a bit offended that he's surprised at it being his favorite. I bite back a sigh as I cut him a piece, handing him the plate. He puckers his lips for a kiss, which I give him. He beams, so I smile back at him before getting my own cake.

Sora swipes his finger along the top of his slice then sucks the mousse frosting off his finger, going, "Mmm!" I can't tell whether he is innocently enjoying it or trying to tempt me. Either way, I'm not going to last long. In fact, I retaliate by doing much of the same…except that I swirl my tongue visibly a bit before sucking the frosting off.

We grin at each other. It is clear that the uneaten cake is about to be put off for later. I put the silver cover back over it so that it won't completely dry out. Sora snickers, still seated. I make my way back to him, straddling his hips as I loosely put my arms around his neck.

"Are you gonna give me a lap dance?" he wonders with a lopsided grin.

My eyebrows go up. "Do you want one?"

He laughs. "Not really, no."

The idea of me giving him a lap dance makes me feel like a girl. And then I realize that I feel like the "girl" of the relationship a lot of the time. And then I realize that I don't care.

I like the way our relationship is. I like being shy and letting someone else do all the work. I like being romanced. I like letting Sora take charge, because he's both cute and sexy when he's being decisive.

I don't say "dominant" because we have actually had a discussion about how we're not ones for kink, and we don't much like the idea of "dominant" versus "submissive," though this could be how some might see us. To us, we're just Riku and Sora, two "boys" in love with each other.

Playing with his hair at the back of his head, I laugh (mainly at my previous line of thought) and murmur, "It's funny. I feel like even though we're getting older…we're still teenagers. I still see us that way."

"Me, too. I guess that's why we'll be in for a rude shock when we have to look in the mirror and see wrinkles." We laugh together. Things have gotten a whole lot less sexy because of me, which I intend to rectify.

Focusing on where I want to lead us, I breathe along Sora's neck—because he's got a very sensitive neck, and it's one of his erotic zones. He shivers. My lips rub against his ear as I ask, "What do you want?"

He goes red because we're both still shy beneath our experience. "Umm…. Surprise me?" He grins to entice me. I laugh yet again.

"Okay. Well…first things first, let's move this over to the bed."

"Heh. Yeah."

I climb off him, grabbing his hand to tug him up. Somehow, in the blink of an eye, we're in each other's embrace, swaying to imagined music in our hearts. Though we're both tickled by it, I think we're also bemused. Beneath this, I'm a little irritated that our moods ebb and flow like the tide: sexy… lovey-dovey… sexy… lovey-dovey….

Though I do enjoy the lovey-dovey mood (since it is Valentine's Day and all), I've been thinking—or rather: trying _not _to think—about sexual acts with Sora all day long. I'm ready and raring to make things steamy.

And just like that, the lovey-dovey mood melts into the steamy, sexy one. Our swaying becomes reckless, and we purposely crash onto the bed, snickering. Since today is _my _day to "woo" (and now _seduce_) my lover, I pin him on his back and grin down at him. His expression mirrors mine as he regards me with lust swirling in his eyes. I lean down and practically devour his mouth. Our hands grip each other, our palms practically one as our fingers intertwine.

The air is suddenly hot and heavy. I very strategically grind against him, hitting the areas that are most sensitive on my favorite person in the world. He shudders, and his hands go weak; his mouth opens involuntarily as his breath hitches in his throat. I flick my tongue against his. He's still reeling from that one movement of mine; I've stolen his breath. He's just trying to remember how to breathe. I take advantage of this by doing whatever I please with his mouth—which just happens to be swishing my tongue around and tasting the remaining flavor of the chocolate mousse.

Withdrawing only slightly, I lap at his lips. I pull back further so that I can see his face. He vaguely looks up at me through half-lidded eyes, lost in his body. I chuckle, but he's not in the state to care. After six years, I know every button there is to push, and I've just hit the OFF button. He's like clay: ready to be molded. Control? Dominance? What's that? I guess they belong to me tonight.

I'd ask Sora questions on how he wants me to please him, but I know that he'll only be able to give monosyllabic (or nonsensical) answers. I've turned off his higher thinking. All that will matter now is carnal pleasure.

I once tried to play with him during sex. I hit his "OFF" button, but then I tried to deny him pleasure. As part of his dislike for lack of contact, he gets _angry _when I try to deny him sex—whether I'm toying with him or not. He practically snarls. And that's when the control flips, and he takes what he wants. It's only happened once, but I found it horribly arousing.

If he expects sex, he better get it. If I deny him, I either get the animalistic response or the cold shoulder. And the only way to melt that ice is by firing him up and giving him the pleasure he craves. The animalistic response has only happened once… but the icy shoulder has happened on multiple occasions (usually when Sora's got more energy than I do and is horny while I'm tired and/ or have work to do). We snap at each other at these times, testy and uncooperative, but we always make up by the end of the night—whether we cuddle and kiss or fuck each other's brains out.

We have a promise never to go to bed angry. It's a nice system that we have—one that keeps us together as well as entertained. We tend to laugh at our little bouts of anger. We find it amusing that we can get angry over sex. In our world, it's all good, though.

It's a selfish part of Sora, his lust, but I still love him. I'm even amused by it. Who would have thought that that sweet teenage boy with a penchant for sugary things, music, and all things foreign would turn out to be such a demanding little tiger in the bedroom? I certainly wasn't expecting it.

Admittedly, back when I only knew him from sight, I thought he was the "nice guy" type: the type to befriend practically anyone, donate money and/ or food and/ or time, or even sacrifice an umbrella on a rainy day. The truth is: Sora's human. As such, he can be quite selfish. He doesn't befriend just anyone, though he's never mean. He's quite resentful (though always secretly) when he has to give up time, money, or food. And he'd rather keep his umbrella for himself than give it to someone without one—unless he knew that he'd be seeing that person again soon, and that that person would be returning it the next day or as close to this as possible.

It makes me wonder how Sora first saw me. In his eyes, was I the popular jock who sparkled in the sun with radiant beauty? Was I the introverted Honor student who never spoke during class? Which one did he see me more as? Could he tell which one was the real me or did he buy into my façade?

My lover stares up at me, getting concerned since I've abruptly spaced out. "What's wrong?"

"Hm? Nothing. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

I ponder what to say to him. "I was thinking that you can never really know a person until you actually spend time with them."

"Okay…." His eyebrows go up as if to ask, 'Are we still doing this?' Heaven help me if I were to give a negative response!

Unfortunately for Sora at the moment, the tide changes: I'm hit by a lovey-dovey moment as I regard his darling face. My fingertips brush his hairline before dusting all over the rest of his face. Though he's mildly irritated, he shuts his eyes, enjoying this lighter touch.

Sometimes, even right in the middle of sex, the lust will change to love—and vice versa. They like to flip-flop on us—back and forth—again and again. It's hard to go one session with purely one mood. No, not just hard: impossible. It's impossible for us. Love and lust are too tangled up in each other. There's no separating them. The two are a strange, strange two-headed creature that lives in the bedroom and nowhere else.

We can be lovey-dovey without the lust, and we can lust with love being a silent observer in the background—for never is the love gone: it's constant. However, when we try to put anything to action, the two fight each other. It's rather like how neither one of us can hold onto "control". Throughout one session, the control goes back and forth. It's like a battle, and no one ever wins—or I guess you can say that we _both _win. Yes, we both win.

I kiss his face with my lips then give him an Eskimo kiss. He smiles sweetly. The haze is clearing from his mind. We kiss lovingly, our lips connecting then disconnecting. In the aftermath of sex one night, Sora called it "our lips' way of hugging". He gets awfully silly off the endorphins. Of course, he's pretty silly most of the time. Still, no matter what, he fills my heart with joy.

Suddenly, Sora gives me a crooked smile then arches up, rubbing against me. I shudder as my eyes roll to the back of my head; my eyelashes flutter as I ride the wave of pleasure. This is similar to his OFF button, but I'm not like him, not really. Now that the novelty has worn off, I'm not as prone to being reduced to a mindless blob. My higher thinking just gets pushed to the back of my mind—it doesn't get shut off completely…like what happens with Sora.

He titters at me. Pursing my lips, bent on revenge, I go right for his ribs since he is _extremely _ticklish there. He tries to curl up defensively like he usually does, but he can't: I'm on top of him, and he's got no way of defending himself. His hands on my forearms have no power. As he shrieks with laughter that borders on tears, I chuckle wickedly.

"RIKU!" he complains. He laugh-sobs. He's never able to say more than my name during these spells. With a few lingering chuckles, I stop, petting his hair apologetically. He purses his lips at me, but they form a smile within a couple of seconds. Our lips "hug". As Sora said that night, 'They hug and say, "Hello!"' I simper and make the same high-pitched noise of amusement as I did then. He's adorably crazy sometimes.

He grins at me with one of my favorite grins from him, and I lose it. My body moves with wordless thought: I nuzzle him in various places; my lips seek to connect with skin. I am especially fond of the spot just below his ear—and the crook of his neck. My hands lock onto his shirt, my fingers nimbly undoing the buttons along the front. I exhale through my nostrils in exasperation at the fact that he's got an undershirt on. He snickers at my expense, perfectly willing to relax and _not_ give me a hand. He wants me to undress him and please him, and he's not willing to help.

When I command, "Sit up!" he does, however. I pull off the open dress shirt then toss it aside; I lift off the undershirt, tugging it over his insane hair, then throw that to join its partner. Now all that's left is the bottom half.

Sora quite enjoys arching up so that I can pull his pants down—he's got that _grin _on his face and that _look _in his eyes that says so. We repeat it for the boxers because, even if we are in a rush (which, right now, we are not), Sora hates to be exposed in one go. He prefers each piece of clothing to come off one at a time. I do, too, really. There's something very unromantic about yanking down someone's pants and underwear at the same time.

I move to kiss his bare chest, and he goes, "Ah! Hold it! Unequal!" Sora also has a thing where if he's naked…then I have to at _least _be topless. Smirking, I remove my dress shirt, taking my sweet time to unbutton it. Both it and _my _undershirt join the pile on the floor.

I muse, "You know, I don't even know why we bothered with undershirts if we knew this was going to happen. Well, actually, _I _bothered with mine because I had work, which just leaves me questioning why _you _bothered."

He grins and shrugs. "I feel naked without it. And you know I don't like the material of most of my dress shirts when it comes to my torso." I laugh at him, and he hits my chest. "You're horrible," he remarks. "You keep getting sidetracked!"

"Yeah, well, so do you! You do it, too, so don't get all bitchy at me, Mr. Impatient!"

An indignant open-mouthed smile crosses his face. "Bitchy?" We laugh because we're not one bit serious.

I finally bring my lips to his skin, starting with his neck and working my way down. Sora giggles because he's ticklish. His laughter becomes wild as I press my lips against his skin and blow, creating a fart sound with his abdomen. I do it just to make him laugh—because it's one of my favorite sounds in the world. It also helps loosen us up. Sadly, even after six years, if we aren't continuous with our lustful activities, we become self-conscious, reverting to our shy inner selves. It's weird but true.

As un-sexy as it is, I bother to ask, "Do you want anal or just oral?" I nearly snicker at Sora getting red. It still embarrasses him to _talk _about our activities. He prefers just _doing_—with minimal communication.

"Uhh…I don't know. We haven't had anal in awhile."

I smirk. "All right."

While my mouth works on stimulating his front, my hand sneaks around to the back. As my mouth caresses him all over his privates in an effort to arouse him, sucking and kissing, I massage his rear to relax him. I pause, getting up for a brief amount of time to retrieve the bottle of lube out of the drawer of the nearby night table. I apply a generous amount to my hand before setting the bottle down.

Looking at the lube reminds me of the first time we had anal.

* * *

Neither of us had any idea what we were doing, but it was decided that I would be the one to stick my dick in his ass. Sora thought it was better this way because he was afraid of hurting me. For some reason, it seemed okay the other way around. It had to happen eventually, in our minds, so I went with it.

To better prepare, we researched on the Internet. We were highly embarrassed by it. Sora kept giggling and burying his reddened face in my shoulder, clinging to my shirt. I stuck to blushing and pursing my lips. Finally, it came down to actually doing it.

We decided that we would do it right there on our shared bed, in our dorm. It was Sora who suggested that we strip down and see each other completely naked for the first time. Once this was done, we spent a good amount of time just staring, regarding each other's nakedness. Just looking at each other got us hard. I really wanted to fuck him; when our eyes met, it was clear that he felt the same. We shared a lecherous grin before putting our research to practical use: be relaxed, lubricate, do it a little at a time (starting with a finger or two), take it slowly, communicate, pain is a bad sign because if you're doing it right it shouldn't hurt, etc.

Sora's least favorite part of this was the communication portion; he kept his words to short answers, forcing me to constantly inquire after him to ascertain his state of being (mental, emotional, and physical). We did it doggy-style because it seemed less embarrassing. We forsook condoms because we figured that neither of us had any diseases…and if we did, we'd already exposed ourselves via oral sex. We figured that we had no diseases because our parents were clearly clean due to a lack of suspicious medication in the medicine cabinets, and because we were both virgins.

After I came (inside Sora), it was my turn. Sora returned the favor in almost the exact same way that I'd done it—including unleashing his fluids inside me. He came a lot faster because he'd been on the edge when I hit my climax. He pulled out then hesitantly lay down next to me. I rolled over so that we were face to face. He wondered, "You okay? Was that…okay?"

"Yeah. …You?"

He grinned. "Yeah. …I liked it. I think I still like oral better, though."

"Me, too."

Blinking, he stated with a crinkled nose, "My butt hurts. It's all sore."

I laughed before I admitted, "Me, too." And then the awkward silence descended.

We kissed, and the contact soothed the burn that was the awkwardness between us.

We still never bother with condoms.

* * *

I smile as I return to the present. Soon, I am giving him head, my mouth slowly moving up and down his shaft as I lazily finger his asshole. He swallows, and his eyes are half-lidded. He's perfectly relaxed. I add another finger, and he shifts a little, swallowing again. A soft, pleased smile graces his lips. Right now, it's more like I'm massaging him than anything else.

I gently squeeze the base of his shaft right as I take a great amount of his length into my mouth. "Mmm…" escapes him. I pull up so that I can lick, then suck on, his tip. He tenses at the sensitivity; I can feel the walls of his anus clench around my fingers. It arouses me; blood rushes to my half-formed erection. I harden. I go back to relaxing Sora because I plan on entering him soon.

Lifting my head, I instruct, "Lift your knees. …I want to watch your face tonight." He blushes but does so. I grin while adding some more lube to the equation. It makes it much easier to ease into him. My eyes close at the delicious familiarity of being inside Sora.

He offers me a lopsided smile as he taunts, "Don't blow your load too early. And if you do…just go for a second time." He grins, silently laughing as I glare at him. "Don't worry. I'll shut up now." A random wink is flicked at me. I push at his thighs while carefully shoving myself further into him. He gasps, and his walls clench then unclench. "It really has been awhile," he mumbles as his excuse.

"It almost feels like the first time."

Smirking, he quips, "But a lot less _weird_."

"I should hope so!" We laugh. I thrust, grinning at the fact that I take him by surprise and elicit another gasp.

"Sheesh, Riku!" Despite this and his facial expression, I know that he's not _really _upset. And just like that, we build a rhythm. I keep it slow because neither of us is feeling up for rough or speedy sex. Tonight's more about the romance and feeling close.

His throat convulses, and he goes, "Mmm…" with his eyes shut. He exhales softly through his nostrils. I carefully pick up the speed—but it's not even that noticeable. I increase it little by little; we go from slow pumping to average. We're panting lightly, staring into each other's eyes. Abruptly overcome by a wave of lust instead of love, I kick it up, thrusting faster and harder. Sora is left to grasp at the sheets, gasping, grunting, and moaning as I get closer and closer to fruition.

"Ah-ah! Riku…. Ho! Unn-mm…."

A little short on breath, I snicker. "That good, huh?"

He opens his mouth, but his eyes close. All he gets out is a pleasurable, "Oh…."

Romance flies out the window as I go as fast as I can. We're both panting hardcore now. Sora's probably unaware of the words that fly from his mouth in the heat of the moment ("Oh!" "Fuck!" "Yeah! Yeah, more!" "Oh, God!" "_Riku_!"). I grin, laughing as I feel my muscles tighten. I'm surfing my high.

I'm groaning and swearing just like him as I hit my release, spilling inside him. "Oh, oh, oh!" that is akin to whimpering bursts from me while I shudder, my lower half still experiencing spasms.

I stop to get a breather. When I don't bother to do any more, Sora complains, "Hey, you know…I'm feeling a little unsatisfied here!" I laugh, still on my high as I begin to pull out. I want to pleasure him with oral until he comes.

His legs come back down, but his knees stay bent. His toes curl into the mattress as I lick and suck his hard-on. He laughs at some of the noises I unintentionally make with my mouth as I work on him. I admittedly slobber a bit, which amuses him more. His laughter is spliced with moaning, making it very strange, rather like, "Hahaha… _Ohh_…."

I make noise—some moaning and humming—for the sole purpose of having my vocal cords buzz. Sora loves the vibration; it's one of his favorite _stimulators_. I jerk him faster and bob just a little more quickly. The main stimulation is my hand; my mouth is just for the _warm_ and _wet_. Truthfully, it's just a receptacle for his fluids when he comes. When he does, I swallow the whole load, continuing to suck at him for a little while afterward. I lick my lips as I lift my head; my hand slides away. I smirk at the pleased expression on my lover's face. His grin says it all, though his closed eyes punctuate the sentiment. My smirk becomes a loving smile as I rub his hip and murmur, "Happy Valentine's Day."

He barely bothers to crack his eyes open as he replies, peering at me almost sleepily through his lashes, "Happy Valentine's Day."

I lie down next to him, taking him into my arms. "You have work tomorrow, right?"

"Oh, no, no! Shhh! Reality can wait a few more hours! Shhh!" I smile behind the hand that has sloppily come to cover my mouth. "We're in a bubble right now, so hush."

I nod, and he removes his hand. He turns his head to meet my eyes since I regard him very strongly. "I love you, Sora."

A sweet smile tugs at his lips; his eyes go soft. "I love you, too, Riku."

"Are you going to want any of that cake right now?"

He laughs. "You're so random!"

My eyebrows go up as I question, "_I'm _random! You should hear the crazy shit that usually comes out of your mouth!"

He laughs some more. "Yeah…."

"So did you want some cake? I'm oddly craving it right now."

Appearing quite dreamy, evidently still lost in the aftermath of our love-making, he murmurs, "Yeah, it does."

My brow furrows. "Huh? I said I was craving it. How does 'Yeah, it does' make for an adequate reply?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about right now." He giggles, and I join him. "I don't even know what I just said!" We laugh more than this deserves.

"Wanna shower first?"

He beams, nodding. We drag ourselves over to the bathroom. Sora's so sore that he can hardly stand up straight, which makes me snicker at him. He pouts and tells me to shut up. I do, but I can't stop smiling about it. The hot, steamy water does wonders to relax our muscles. We use the shower for quickly scrubbing then spend a long time soaking. The fresh towels are soft, which is nice. Instead of getting dressed, we wrap ourselves in white robes and sit back down at the table to enjoy dessert.

As Sora sits back in his chair, looking quite satisfied as he clasps his hands behind his head, I look at him with realization. Worried, he questions, "What?"

"I just realized that I've never asked you one of the most important questions in our relationship. And you've never asked it of me."

Getting quite serious, he sits forward, prodding, "What?"

I grin. "Will you be my valentine?"

My response is an exuberant grin, fervent nod, and a passionate kiss that ends with Sora in my lap, his arms around my neck. He gazes into my soul as he intones, "Forever."

* * *

**A/N: Originally, I was going to end this here, but **_**Illyric **_**wanted some resolution concerning Disneyland; therefore, this story's epilogue will be the FINAL ending. **

**The top A/N still applies, though, because I'm not going to say anything after the epilogue. Thanks again for all your support, and I hope you've enjoyed this!**

**Oh, and let's note that I can't possibly predict what 2014 will be like, so their trip to Disneyland will be based on assumptions that certain classic rides will be running at that time. **

**Hee hee! Sora at Disneyland… XD Enough said! **

**Please review! **

**Kagome-chan **


	6. The Happiest Place on Earth

Epilogue: The Happiest Place on Earth

Sora's never been on a plane before, so, naturally, he's very excited. He clings to my arm as we board, and he chatters on and on, bouncing in his seat like a little kid. I make sure that he gets the window seat.

It's a three-hour flight to California. We're due to be landing at LAX, one of the busiest airports in the U.S.

Sora's first words as we step out of the airport are: "What the hell?! It's _cold_! And it looks like it could rain any second!" He rubs at his arms, staring up at the gray sky, and I laugh at him.

"It's February," I point out. "It's the coldest month of the year."

"Yeah," he argues, "but it's _California_! California! Southern California to boot! It's one of the hottest places on this side of the planet—next to Nevada, probably. Ooh! Hey! Maybe we could rent a car and go to Vegas to gamble. I've never been to this part of the U.S. before."

I smirk at his rapid-fire commentary then add, "I've only been to So Cal. That was back in the late _nineties_, when I was like…" I pause to remember. "I think I was eight. God! I feel old!"

"That's why we should go to Vegas and gamble—and get drunk—like young men should!" I laugh at the thought of Sora gambling—and getting drunk—then concede, "Whatever you want."

He frowns at me. "It's _our _anniversary. Why do you say that it's whatever _I _want?"

"Because this year is all about me wooing you, remember?"

He now grins. "Oh, yeah! Then, hell _yes_ it's whatever I want! And this applies to all the other holidays, too!"

Chuckling, I murmur, "Sure thing, Sora." My arm wraps around his shoulders; he shivers and presses closer to me for warmth.

"Brr! Chilly!"

I just smile and shake my head. We head off to baggage claim.

At the sight of a familiar white car, I grin and rush toward it. It's similar in make to the one from the high school years, but it's newer. Its owner lights up and runs around the front in order to give me a hug. "Hey!" the blonde cries. She squeezes me even tighter then kisses my cheek. The next second, she sees Sora, and I am forsaken as she moves to do the same to him. With this accomplished, she gushes, her crystal blue eyes alight, "God! It's been too long! Webcam does not do you guys any justice! How have you been? Happy anniversary! Gosh!"

Sora and I chuckle at our friend, our matchmaker. "Yeah, it has been too long. We're fine. We're really good, actually."

Sora latches onto my arm and raves, "Guess what Riku did for me on Valentine's Day, Nami! Guess!"

Naminé giggles. "Umm…made sweet, sweet love to you?"

He rolls his eyes. "Well, duh! I mean the _romance _portion of it!"

"Ooh! Riku was in charge of the romance department this year? How fun! Tell me more!"

"Wait!" I cry. "Pop the trunk first, Nami!"

She grins but jogs back to the driver-side door to hit the switch at the front of the car. I nod my thanks, and she returns to the sidewalk to talk more with Sora.

As Sora goes into great detail, I work on getting our luggage tucked away in the trunk. I hear Naminé go, "Awww!" I smirk, proud that Sora still loves my scavenger hunt idea.

We only have one suitcase each because we're only staying the weekend. Today is Friday, March 7th, 2014. Tomorrow is our anniversary, and _tomorrow _is when we go to Disneyland.

"Hey," I point out, "I hate to interrupt, but we should at least get in the car and get driving. We can catch up over lunch."

"Yeah!" Sora gushes. "I'm _starving_!" Both Naminé and I chuckle at his expense.

And so, over a lunch at a fairly nice restaurant, we catch up. It's been awhile since we even talked on webcam, so there is a lot to discuss. We end up going back to Naminé's loft.

"You've redecorated," I note appreciatively.

She's got different artwork hanging on the white walls, but it's all just as colorful and moving. She's still got her mantle and living room plastered in photos of all her friends. Sora and I are the most photographed of the bunch, but Axel, Roxas, Demyx, and Zexion—and her college friend Marluxia—can be seen in a few. Her furniture is different, but it's still new-age and vibrant. There's a lot of red and blue in here.

"I'll be right back!" my boyfriend cries. I recognize the anxious smile on Sora's face even before he heads off in the direction of the bathroom.

I call, "That's why you should have gone at the restaurant!" I don't get a reply. I just hear the bathroom door shut. I snort and shake my head, smiling at him. He hasn't changed a bit after all these years.

"Do you want some water or anything?" my host wonders.

"No, thanks. I'm good."

"'kay." She smiles and hugs me again, squeezing me tightly. "Oh, I've missed you! I know we've got busy lives, but we really shouldn't wait two _years _before seeing each other in person."

"Well, you're the one with all the funds, Miss World-Renowned Artist!"

She grins, blushing faintly. "Yeah. I suppose you're right. And I really do miss the islands. I'll try and make it out more—I promise!"

"You better!" We laugh. Suddenly, we're in another hug. Ever since Sora and I discovered (by talking about it between ourselves) that Naminé was basically our matchmaker in a very discreet way, we've been extremely close to her.

Our host is adamant that we stay at her place instead of a hotel—"for the whole weekend! I'm not taking no for an answer!" Sora and I are quite amenable to this, which is why it's even a bit silly that anyone could possibly entertain the idea that we'd stay at a hotel. Why stay at a hotel when you can crash at a friend's place for free and talk for hours on end?

* * *

Much to Sora's delight, the morning of March 8th dawns bright and sunny. There are still nippy winds, but he doesn't care. He's got a tummy full of Naminé's homemade omelets and hash browns, so he's good to go.

Sitting in her breakfast nook, we invite Naminé to join us on our trip to Disneyland, and she goes, "Hmm…I don't know. It's your guys' anniversary and all…." She abruptly states, "Which reminds me! Don't fornicate in my place! I love you guys, but that's not cool!"

Getting offended, I gripe, "When have we _ever_?"

"Never," she fluidly replies, "but it is your anniversary." She grins at us, and we laugh.

Standing to stretch, Sora promises, "We won't 'fornicate' in your place, Nam. Relax. I think we can last until we get home to do that. Today's just gonna be about childish delight and DISNEYLAND!" He grabs my shoulder, shaking me from side to side in my seat as he jumps up and down, grinning so hard that it looks painful. I laugh because this is the delayed reaction I've been waiting for. "DISNEYLAND!" he repeats. "Fucking DISNEYLAND! Eee!" Both Naminé and I laugh. He insists to the blonde, "You have to come! It's not every day we see you. Come on!"

"Okay," she agrees. "I'll come! But if only to play photographer for you two." She grins, giggling a bit.

"Oh! Totally!" I agree. "Absolutely!"

Anxious and eager, Sora pushes, "Come on! Let's go already! I want to be able to go on as many rides as possible!"

_"Hai, hai…" _He smirks at my use of Japanese. And then he's off and running to get dressed.

* * *

_"It's a small world_—_!" _

"Sora, I didn't think I would ever say this in my life…but if you don't shut up, I will hurt you."

He laughs silently then offers, "Maybe you'd prefer it in Japanese?" He takes a breath and sings, _"Sekai wa_—_!" _I clamp my hand over his mouth.

"No," I command. "I'd prefer it _never again_! Once is enough to last a lifetime!"

Naminé giggles behind her hand…before abruptly snapping a photo of me with my hand over Sora's mouth. She muses, "I think we'll have the caption read, 'Riku hates "It's a Small World".'" She giggles again, and I get muffled chuckling from Sora. Rolling my eyes, I release him. I walk ahead of the pair, and they hasten to catch up.

"I can't believe they put in fucking Disney characters! Fuck you, Disney!"

Sora snorts and reminds me, "Riku, we're at Disneyland. You can't say 'Fuck you, Disney!' in the Magic Kingdom. That's like…blasphemy! Plus, there are little kids around! Have some decorum." I chuckle at _him _scolding _me_—normally, it's the other way around.

He opens his mouth to say more but abruptly catches sight of something. This something becomes apparent as he childishly yells, "GOOFY!" and charges the person in the suit. Naminé and I laugh so hard that we have to lean on each other for support; there are tears of mirth going down our faces as we snort for air through our nostrils.

"Take a picture!" I urge her as we see Sora skid to a halt in front of the life-sized character. She pulls herself together in order to snap a couple.

Sora waves us over and begs, "Take a picture of us together!"

I lose it again, but Naminé obeys, taking multiple shots of a grinning Sora and "Goofy," who mainly sticks to putting his arm around the brunet's shoulders.

Oh, wait: Sora gets him to give a peace sign with him while he grins. And Sora hugs him unabashedly. I get embarrassed on his behalf, but I'm also too busy dying from laughter that can't even be voiced. I wonder if the actor playing Goofy thinks that Sora's retarded. A young man of twenty-four getting as excited as a little kid, throwing caution to the wind, is indeed a strange (yet oddly heartwarming) sight. Luckily for Sora, he hardly looks his age.

The two share one last hug in which Goofy pats Sora's back then, upon withdrawing, his spiky hair, causing the brunet to guffaw.

"Thanks, Goofy. Catch ya later!" Sora offers a fist, and Goofy pounds it. I snicker, horribly amused. Naminé snaps a picture of it because the action and Sora's grin are priceless.

We go all over the park. After the Pirates ride, Sora sings under his breath, _"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" _He then decides that he wants to go on it again…so we do. Meanwhile, I'm busy trying not to ruin it for him by holding my tongue instead of bitching about the changes to the ride—the most obvious being the addition of Johnny Depp and some other movie things.

_Fucking Johnny Depp! Blasphemy or not, I still say, 'Fuck you, Disney!' _

We wander off to visit other rides before lunch since Sora wants to eat at the _Blue Bayou. _This gives us a break from that song, which might just be stuck in my head for the rest of the day. It's a toss-up between it and "It's a Small World". Obviously, I'd prefer having the Pirates song stuck in my head. And so, we eat at the _Blue Bayou_. Our eyes stray to the people going by on the Pirates ride.

We go on every ride at least once. We even catch the parade at its start. Sora makes me buy a pair of Mickey Mouse ears just so that he can try and stick them on my head. I grab them from him and try to do the same to him. He runs, and I chase after him. Poor Naminé is left to both run and take photos of our fun. Finally, for the sake of a photo op, we stand in front of the castle and take turns wearing the stupid ears, both of us grinning like idiots.

Out of all the places go, my favorite is Space Mountain. I think it's Sora's favorite ride because he's always had an affinity for rockets and space, which is why he loves Tomorrowland in general. The snapshot of Sora's wide-open smile and huge blue eyes is great. The only problem with it is that I look rather unattractive in it, with my mouth hanging open and my eyes looking like, 'What? Picture time? Say what?' We buy a print because Sora loves it so much. Naminé and Sora spend a great deal of time guffawing at how I look in the photo.

By now, it's nighttime, and my stomach wants dinner. Since Sora wants to stay until the park closes for the night, "to get your money's worth," he claims, we stick around to have dinner and to ride Space Mountain again. We catch the fireworks, managing to get a good spot to see them.

I'm very glad that I've got a lot of money in my savings account because I don't just pay an arm and a leg for this trip: I pay an arm, hand, leg, foot, and head for it. It's worth it, though, because Sora's insanely happy.

* * *

After much hugging, we bid goodbye to our dear friend Naminé and head into the airport to begin the process of going through security. We've only spent a few days in California, but they are a few days well spent. We've gone out to eat—mostly to cheap places—a few times this weekend, but mostly we've hung out with Naminé. Obviously, the biggest chapter of the weekend is Disneyland.

As we board the plane, Sora's more subdued—quite sleepy, actually, since we've landed a morning flight. He spends the duration of the flight dozing on my shoulder. Thankfully, he never really falls asleep (and thus never drools on me). During an instance when he sits up and shifts because he can't get comfortable, he mumbles with a sleepy smile about how great this weekend was and how I'm awesome.

"We should totally do this more often," he says right before a big yawn hits him. He nuzzles my shoulder, completely missing the fond smile that I shoot him.

"Maybe someday we'll do this again, but I think the novelty is what makes it magical."

"Yeah…." He grins. Prying his eyes open just enough, he peers at me through his narrowed eyes, up through his lashes, and intones, his grin softening into a dreamy smile, "I love you, Riku." His voice is so soft yet so passionate that I feel like he's just covered me in a warm blanket of peace.

I smirk and tease, "More than you love Disney?"

A tired grin stretches across his face. "More than I love Disney."

"More than you love chocolate?"

He purses his lips, but the grin re-emerges. "I think so."

I prod, "More than you love Paramore?"

"Yeah."

"What about sleep?"

He exhales through his nostrils. "I don't know about that one, Ri. I'm pretty damn tired."

I chuckle. "I'll let you sleep then. Sweet dreams, Sora."

His eyes slip closed as a beatific smile graces his lips. I can't resist pressing a kiss to his forehead. I start softly singing "When You Wish Upon a Star," and he laughs, grinning. Soon, the grin melts away into a peaceful expression. I sing the whole thing only because he doesn't stop me. Of course, that might have to do with the fact that he seems to have drifted off somewhere between _"Makes no difference who you are" _and _"Your dreams come true"_.

As sappy as it is, I consider that song to be one of our dearest songs, what with our history of shooting stars and Sora's love of Disney. Silly though it may be…our dreams really have come true. And if I had a shooting star to wish on right now, I really would wish that we could be together forever.

_**- Fin -**_


End file.
